South Brazilian Biogas and Biomethane Forum 2024 takes place next week

With more than 700 registrants, the 6th South Brazilian Biogas and Biomethane Forum will be held next week, from April 16th to 18th, in Chapecó, Santa Catarina. The official opening of the event will be on Tuesday, at 9am, with the presence of the president of the World Biogas Association (WBA), Charlotte Morton OBE. Registration for the 6th Forum is now closed. 

The lawyer played a key role in the creation of the World Biogas Association (WBA) in 2016, to promote biogas around the world. In 2022, Charlotte was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her work in the biogas industry.

The program aims to debate the current biogas panorama and its perspectives, bringing together professionals, entrepreneurs and researchers involved in the biogas ecosystem. Topics such as decarbonization, innovations, challenges, business models, the job market and other topics are on the event's agenda. There will be more than 15 hours of activities at the Plínio Arlindo de Nes Culture and Events Center.

Focus on trends

The Forum will have environments for connections and exchange of experiences, partnerships and businesses aimed at using biogas for energy applications (electrical, thermal and biomethane energy). Two days are scheduled with ten panels on different thematic axes, the first being “Decarbonization of animal protein chains”, at the opening of the event, on April 16th, at 9:30 am.

“Nothing more significant for the region, and for the state of Santa Catarina, than talking about this topic and the connections they have with biogas chains”, says the coordinator of the 6th Forum, Airton Kunz, researcher at Embrapa Swine and Poultry , one of the institutions hosting the event. The theme of decarbonization will also be present on the second day of the event, when the Decarbonization Hub will be presented, by the Federation of Industries of SC (Fiesc), and whose first program should be dedicated to the animal protein sector.

Around 60 professionals who work and research in the area will be sharing knowledge. Success stories in biogas production are part of the program. There will be 12 companies and organizations presenting cases on April 16th and 17th.

The Forum brings together different audiences interested in biogas generation. In addition to the panels, there will be the Best of Biogas awards, Biogas Startups Moment – ​​with an Eye on the Future of the Sector, Business Spaces and Technical Visits (read below). It also opens space for parallel events, on the 15th, the day before the official start: Seminar “Technologies for the disposal of non-slaughtered dead animals”, run by Embrapa/Epagri; Meeting of Extensionists (Emater RS, Epagri and IDR/PR) and Meeting of Biogas Women.

The complete program is available at: (www.biogasebiometano.com.br/programacao/)

Best of Biogas Award 

On the first day of the Forum, the sector will meet professionals, organizations and highlighted plants/units, with the Best of Biogas award being presented. It is recognition for the work carried out throughout 2023, in the country.

Time for startups 

Four startups will present their businesses at the Biogas Startups Moment – ​​with an Eye on the Future of the Sector which, in this edition, has a partnership with Pollen, the Chapecó Scientific and Technological Park, from Unochapecó.Business Space 

In the Business Space, during the Forum panel breaks, over the two days of programming, more than 50 brands of companies and organizations will present projects, technologies, equipment, services and products developed.

Three technical visit itineraries  

The last day of the Forum, April 18, is reserved for visits to biogas plants. At Grupo Cetric, in Chapecó, visitors will visit the industrial landfill with a biogas generation plant for the production of electricity and biomethane, used in vehicles in the company's own fleet. At Embrapa, in Concórdia, the research structure and laboratories and the demonstration plant for biomethane production will be presented. Still in Concórdia, participants will visit Granja Benelli, which maintains an electricity generation unit using biogas from pig waste in finishing pigs.  

The third route will be at Granja São Roque, in Videira, and at Leitaria Tirolesa, in Treze Tílias: in the first, the focus is on technologies used to use biodigesters in the production of biogas and generation of electrical energy and reuse of water, while in the second , the production of biogas and energy from dairy cattle farming.