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The New Urca Energy Plant for Green CO2 Production in Rio de Janeiro Will Start Operating in Less Than 2 Years
The Urca Energy Group announced on last Monday (7) that it will begin construction of a green carbon dioxide production plant, which will be located at the Seropédica Waste Treatment Center, Rio de Janeiro. The plant – which is the first of its kind in Brazil – will make full use of biomethane generated from organic waste from landfills. The project is part of the Gás Verde portfolio.
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The company, which was recently acquired by the Urca Energy Group, already has a biomethane plant in Seropédica and two other power generation plants using biogas, one in Nova Iguaçu and another in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, which will be transformed into biomethane plants by 2023.
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The high investment for building and acquiring all the equipment for the new green CO2 plant is around R$ 45 million, but the total investment in Gás Verde amounts to R$ 1.2 billion. With construction in full swing, the Urca Energy Group hopes that the green CO2 plant will start operating in 18 months.
About 100 tons of green carbon dioxide will be generated daily at the plant, representing approximately 10% of the average daily consumption recorded in Brazil, which is 1,100 tons. This product is commonly used in the beverage and food agro-industry during the carbonation processes of liquids – such as soft drinks and beers – and also in the freezing of food. In the metallurgy sector, CO2 is used in thermal treatment of welds. In the sanitation sector, it is specifically used for wastewater treatment.
Urca Energy Group Seeks Investments That Contribute Not Only to Business but Mainly to the Environment
According to Marcel Jorand, the executive director of Urca Energy Group, by investing in the partial or total utilization of carbon dioxide, they do not only want to remain focused on the financial negotiation purposes of the company but also to make investments that can have a positive effect on the environment.
Throughout the biogas treatment process for biomethane, a gas stream composed of 42% carbon dioxide is instantly generated, which will be sent via pipelines from the biomethane plant to the green CO2 plant, where treatment will occur to raise its carbon dioxide concentration to 99%. In the end, the gas will undergo a liquefaction process so that it can be stored and sold to distributors.
Contracts in Sight
Gás Verde has already signed a contract with the brewing agro-industry Ambev in January of this year for the supply of biomethane. The biomethane generated within the Seropédica Waste Treatment Center in Rio de Janeiro is used at Ambev.
It is transported from the treatment center to the brewery and injected into high-efficiency burners in the boiler, generating the steam needed for production processes, being a much more sustainable source of thermal energy that also reduces carbon emissions. The goal is to achieve zero emissions by 2040. Gás Verde aims to supply about 5.5 million cubic meters of biomethane yearly.
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