JICA, Sanepar to discuss financing biogas renewable energy projects - Brazil

Officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Brazil's Paraná state water utility Sanepar will meet this week to discuss projects to expand power generation from the sewage treatment process, according to a Sanepar release.

Sanepar president Stênio Jacob will meet May 27 and 28 with JICA representatives Katsuhiko Haga, Kan Bito and Mauro Inoue, who are interested in financing the renewable energy projects, the release said.

The technical visit and meeting will take place at Sanepar's Ouro Verde sewage treatment plant located in Paraná's Foz do Iguaçu, near the border with Argentina and Paraguay, the release said.

Sanepar has been producing electric power at the plant since 2008. The plant produces energy for its own operations and the surplus is sold to power company Copel (NYSE: ELP).

The process involves taking ozone-damaging methane gas - a byproduct of sewage treatment - and using it to generate electricity, and is certified by Brazil's power regulator Aneel.

"We want to extend the successful experience of Foz do Iguaçu to all of our sewage treatment plants," Jacob said. "We want to reduce the principal expenditure in the sector, which is electric energy."

One of the treatment plants to be discussed this week is Atuba Sul in Curitiba, a large facility with a sewage treatment capacity of up to 1,120l/s, according to the release.

The goal is to use energy produced by its biogas to fully operate the plant and sell any surplus.

Sanepar is also looking toward generating carbon credits for the reduction of methane gas released into the atmosphere, the release said.

Business News Americas

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