Use of LPG as an energy option in the agro segment

Many people think that LPG is and can only be used as the popular cooking gas in cylinders that light stoves for cooking food. However, it is a product that has gained more and more uses due to its efficiency, capacity and because it is a clean fuel, less polluting than firewood, oil and coal, for example. In the agro segment, LPG has been used in the grain drying process, instead of wood and biomass dryers or other energy sources, having grown its share in the segment – ​​it currently represents the third largest consumer of LPG with around 8% of sales in the country, second only to the commercial and industrial market.

 Furthermore, it can be used in drying coffee and rice, dehydrating peels and leaves, drying cotton, washing fruits and potatoes, among other purposes. Its application in the sector provides a series of advantages to rural landowners, such as:

 - Reduces the level of humidity after harvesting the grain and seeds in a completely controlled way, avoiding losses due to fungi and germination in the storage and pre-sale process to the consumer;

- As it has a greater calorific value, LPG improves the final quality of the grain and/or seed, preventing breakage and leaving it with a cleaner visual appearance, eliminating the opacity of the grain;

- Provides a 20% to 30% gain in productivity (varies from case to case);

- Absence of smells, as it avoids contact with smoke and monoxides generated by firewood and biomass, for example;

- Allows total temperature control during the drying process - through the use of LPG it is possible to provide control and uniformity throughout the process, which is essential for a superior quality product (example: coffee roasting);

- Enables flame modulation according to production, resulting in efficiency and savings for the producer;

- Offers fewer health risks for those who operate it, as it avoids exposure to heat and toxic particles generated when burning wood and biomass; 

Price - Copagaz, the fifth largest LPG distributor in the country, signed a partnership with companies responsible for developing burning equipment and combustion solutions. The creation of these systems was fundamental to overcoming one of the obstacles that made the adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas unfeasible – the price. “Due to excessive consumption, the cost was high for rural landowners, but now with the new equipment, the considerable drop has made it possible to change processes, which is worth highlighting, it is done quickly – it takes about three days; and it does not generate any costs, as the equipment can be loaned and exchanged free of charge”, explains Vicente Longatti, National Industrial Sales Manager at Copagaz.

The company already has rural landowners as clients in different regions of the country, such as: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná and Pernambuco. “The trend is for LPG to increasingly be part of the agribusiness production process. Not only because of its competitiveness, but also because of its high sustainable power and high efficiency”, adds Longatti.