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Mato Grosso unit initiative has support from Anglo American and startup DeCARB
Reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere is one of the main concerns of industries that seek to adapt to society's new demands for sustainability. The Senai Biomass Innovation Institute (ISI Biomassa), located in Três Lagoas (MS), is committed to developing solutions in that area.
In this way, it has just signed a new partnership with the multinational mining company Anglo American and the startup DeCARB to create a biochar capable of reducing the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere and, thus, combating the advance of global warming. Want to know more? Read on.
Learn a little more about another type of biochar to fertilize the soil with the video below
Project DeCarbon has support from other agencies to overcome industry challenges
The initiative, called Projeto DeCarbon, has the support of Embrapii (Brazilian Company for Research and Industrial Innovation). However, it represents a joint effort by the companies involved in seeking innovative solutions to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
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One of the great challenges for industries is to find effective alternatives for capturing and converting carbon dioxide. Thus, the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse biomass and coconut residues will be used to produce biochar. And this material manages to capture carbon.
The manager of ISI Biomassa, João Gabriel Marini, emphasizes the importance of this project for the reduction of CO₂ emissions. In this sense, he states that mining is one of the segments that seeks to mitigate emissions in advance of the foreseen regulations. Anglo American, in turn, points out that the project is in line with its strategic objectives of reducing CO₂ emissions in its Nickel operations. Furthermore, the company points out that biochar can be sold to various productive sectors.
After all, how does the biochar being developed by Senai work?
The innovation project focuses on the production of biochar from the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse biomass and coconut waste. The goal is to use the biochar produced as a filter to capture the CO₂ emitted by industries.
However, the pyrolysis process consists of the decomposition of biomass through heat, generating biochar as a result. This material will be activated to be used as a CO₂ adsorbent. That is, it will have the function of fixing the CO₂ molecules emitted by industries on its solid surface.
The capture of CO₂ will allow its reuse in other industrial processes, but there is still a risk that this gas will be released back into the atmosphere. However, the industrial researcher responsible for the project, Willian Pereira Gomes, points out that the captured gases can be reintroduced into new technological routes. In this way, it is possible to generate durable materials such as carbonates, concrete and polymers. This would effectively result in carbon sequestration, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental sustainability.
With this initiative, ISI Biomassa and its partners are taking another important step towards sustainability, contributing to a cleaner and healthier future for everyone.
ISI Biomassa is a Senai initiative that investigates biofuels and biochar in Mato Grosso
The ISI Biomass (Senai Institute of Biomass Innovation) is a research and innovation center located in Três Lagoas (MS), whose main aim is to develop technological and innovative solutions for the production of energy from biomass, contributing to the energy transition and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The institute has a team of highly qualified researchers and state-of-the-art infrastructure to carry out research and tests on a laboratory and pilot scale, in addition to offering consultancy services and training in biomass.
Among the areas of activity of ISI Biomassa, the production of biofuels stands out, such as second-generation ethanol and biodiesel. In addition, the institute operates in the generation of electricity from biomass, in the production of bioproducts and in the development of technologies for the treatment of waste.
ISI Biomassa is part of the Senai Institutes of Innovation network. The objective of these institutions is to boost innovation in Brazilian industry.
