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There is an urgent need for energy sources with lower environmental impacts to dispose of waste generated by human activities. In this context, a holistic analysis of energy use of waste from agricultural and forestry activities, animal excreta, urban solid waste and sewage, waste from the pulp and paper industry and charcoal in Brazil is presented. Based on a bibliographic review, the current Brazilian panorama is presented in figures giving, a vision of national potential for harnessing bioenergy from this theoretical and technical potential. The QGIS3.24.2 Tisler geoprocessing tool was used to generate potentiality maps from census data of microregions and municipalities available in the IBGE database (2022) and in the Geocentric Reference System for the Americas (SIRGAS 2000). The results of map analysis by micro‐regions of the primary energy from agricultural residues highlight sugar cane, corn and soybeans crops, followed by wastewater and animal excreta. They stood out amont the studied sources of biomass with technical potentials of 53.17, 15.23 and 6.81 GW, respectively. With these results, it is concluded that Brazil could enable around 75 GW installed power, reusing all biomass, potentially 12.5 PJ, without considering the 16 GW already installed from sugarcane and paper black liquor plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest based power plants are alternatives in the diversification of domestic energy supply in Brazil, given the growing demand for electricity in recent decades. Evidences of space-time clusters contribute to the understanding of regional development associated with correlated activity. Therefore, this paper analyzed the space-time conglomerates for Brazilian forest-based power plants, from 2000 to 2019. The data used were from the Generation Information System of the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL)-SIGA. It detected the existence of clusters by means of scan statistics via space-time permutation, considering the high level of conglomeration. The results show the Center-South region of Brazil with the highest concentration of conglomerates, with black liquor and forest residues being the most used energy resources. The clusters with the highest installed power were in the early 2010s, with the black liquor plants. The regions with the formation of fast-growing forest plantations promoted the existence of conglomerates associated with the pulp and paper and steel industry complexes. It is concluded that there was a conglomeration of forest power plants in the central-south region of Brazil, in which they help in decision-making and guidance of public policies for forestry projects for energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comprehensive review aims to elucidate the state of the art related to research trends regarding the use of brewer's spent grains (BSG), the main solid by‐product generated in breweries. Its status, future opportunities, and emerging trends were evaluated by bibliometric analysis, which contributed to clarifying the knowledge and perspectives in the field. In total, 510 documents were obtained from the Web of Science© database in a timespan from 1900 to 2020. VosViewer software and R‐bibliometrix package were used to investigate and map the most frequently cited papers, international collaborative networks, keywords, and the main countries and journals associated with this research. The results showed that, globally, 65 countries have been engaged in research related to BSG, and Brazil has been the most productive country, with up to 70 publications. Keyword analysis revealed that the studies on BSG are divided into four main knowledge areas: (i) pretreatment; (ii) nutritional quality; (iii) bioactive compounds, and (iv) pyrolysis. It was also found that a biorefinery can be designed for the complete utilization of BSG to obtain several valuable compounds. In this sense, different technological routes can be applied to produce arabinoxylans, proteins, ferulic acid, xylitol, xylose, lactic acid, butanol, biogas, fertilizer, and ethanol. In conclusion, BSG is a cost‐effective and feasible raw material for the sustainable production of bio‐based products and bioenergy and its valorization in a biorefinery is a powerful strategy to promote the circular economy transition of the beer industry. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the scientific production carried out by the largest bioenergy research program in Brazil, the São Paulo Research Foundation Bioenergy Research Program (BIOEN‐FAPESP), in the period from 2008 to 2019. The study draws on a list of BIOEN publications on the Web of Science (WoS) platform, containing over 1000 articles, grouped under ResearcherID H‐6149‐2012. The methods applied in the study were based on the information specific to each article and involved the construction of networks including authors, countries, research subjects, and direct citations. Communities were built based on network properties and their content was extracted from articles abstracts, titles and keywords, using text mining techniques. We also obtained quantitative measures for BIOEN scientific output. The analysis found that BIOEN produced relevant knowledge, and contributed to the emergence of new research areas in the bioenergy sector. Overall, BIOEN was decisive for the advancement of bioenergy research in Brazil, and resulted in the expansion of the knowledge base for ethanol production. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its low share of energy-related emissions, energy systems models have overlooked the implications of technological transition in the agricultural sector and its interaction in the wider energy system. This paper explores the role of agriculture intensification by using a novel agricultural-based energy systems model. The aim is to explore the future role of Brazil's agriculture and its dynamics with other energy sectors under two carbon constraint scenarios. The main focus has been to study resource competition between sugarcane and natural gas at a country level. Results show that in order to meet the future food and bioenergy demand, the agricultural sector would start intensifying by 2030, improving productivity at the expense of higher energy demand, however, land-related emissions would be minimised due to freed-up pasture land and reduction in deforestation rates. Additionally, the development of balanced bioenergy and natural gas markets may help limit the sugarcane expansion rates, preserving up to 12.6 million hectares of forest land, with significant emissions benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the wood chemical and energetic characteristics of Eucalyptus spp. clones planted in three sites in the Midwest of Brazil. Thus, five clones from Eucalyptus spp. were planted in different sites aiming to determine the qualitative characteristics of the wood resulting from the variation in the tree growth environment and the genetic material. The same clones were planted in the three sites to determine the genotype × environment interaction. The trees were then sampled at 5 years after planting for their physical–chemical and energetic characterization. The results showed that the wood characteristics vary in different proportions according to the clone, just as the growth environment of the trees alters the behavior of the clones for the same characteristics. The edaphic variables affected the wood characteristics, inferring that the water content in the soil has more effect on the wood properties than the water content in the air, mainly on wood basic density. The results of this study indicate that using the appropriate genotype related to the environment conditions determines the wood characteristics, since the wood properties are strongly influenced by the edaphoclimatic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the net carbon dioxide (CO) emission reductions between 2005 and 2050 by using wood for energy under various scenarios of forest management and energy conversion technology in Japan, considering both CO emission reductions from replacement of fossil fuels and changes in carbon storage in forests. According to our model, wood production for energy results in a significant reduction of carbon storage levels in forests (by 46% to 77% in 2050 from the 2005 level). Thus, the net CO emission reduction when wood is used for energy becomes drastically smaller. Conventional tree production for energy increases net CO emissions relative to preserving forests, but fast-growing tree production may reduce net CO emissions more than preserving forests does. When wood from fast-growing trees is used to generate electricity with gas turbines, displacing natural gas, the net CO emission reduction from the combination of fast-growing trees and electricity generation with gas turbines is about 58% of the CO emission reduction from electricity generation from gas turbines alone in 2050, and an energy conversion efficiency of around 20% or more is required to obtain net reductions over the entire period until 2050. When wood is used to produce bioethanol, displacing gasoline, net reductions are realized after 2030, provided that heat energy is recovered from residues from ethanol production. These results show the importance of considering the change in carbon storage when estimating the net CO emission reduction effect of the wood use for energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy securities, increases in fossil fuel prices, and concern about climate change have been major causes of increased bioenergy production. Because biomass production is rural-based and generally labor-intensive, bioenergy development happens mainly in less developed countries. Comprehensive analysis is needed to develop appropriate policies to ensure the sustainability of resource use while promoting economic development. Given this, public policies must promote more efficient inter- and intra-sector water allocation schemes. Economic instruments, such as water pricing and water markets, can be used to avoid transferring negative environmental and economic impacts of meeting global renewable energy targets to production regions. In Brazil, water markets are not allowed, but the law has established raw water charges as a management instrument at the river basin level. However, the majority of bulk water charge systems have been defined exclusively for raising revenue. Integrated economic modeling can be a useful tool to support the design of effective economic instruments. This paper describes the main features of two economic modeling approaches that can support effective water pricing decisions. Three case studies illustrate sugarcane ethanol production river basins in Brazil where water prices have already been established but fail to reflect the real scarcity value of water in the region. In addition, preliminary results of a national-level economic model being built for Brazil show that increasing water charges for the agricultural sector can have significant effects on water demand and agriculture production. The potential benefits of water pricing policy decisions based on economic modeling results are assessed. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofuel production has stood out at the international level on account of its more environmentally sustainable characteristics and the potential to promote rural development in developing countries. In Brazil, biodiesel is being produced through legislation requiring the addition (currently 7%) of biofuel to petroleum diesel. The federal program (PNPB) aimed the social inclusion of small farmers and diversification of Brazilian matrix by incentives regional crops production. The possibility of broadening raw material sources for biodiesel production benefits the Brazilian competitiveness. At the same time, facing the vast varieties of raw materials available in this country, it is a challenge to figure out which crop would be more appropriate to this chain. The palm species Acrocomia aculeata ( macaúba ) could provide an alternative resource for energy diversification in Brazil and Latin American countries. The crop species has drawn attention due to its high productivity rates and because it is not used for food purposes. In this sense, this paper examines the opportunity of biodiesel production from A. aculeata as a potential source for future energy supply, particularly for biodiesel, especially in Brazil. This paper presents A. aculeata and some points that allow compare with other crops. Several related aspects are covered in this paper, such as economics, botanical description, the extraction and compositions, physical and chemical properties of crude A. aculeata oil and fatty acid composition of A. aculeata . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper assesses the learning potential of dedicated wood production systems to boost yields and reduce production costs. In particular, the paper analyses past trends and provides a future outlook of developments in dedicated wood production for three cases: eucalyptus production in Brazil, poplar production in Italy and willow production in Sweden. A main objective of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which experience curves can be devised for conventional woody plantation systems, and whether these can also be applied to short rotation cropping (SRC) production systems. For current average SRC production systems, Italian poplar shows the highest cost at 5.5 €GJ−1 followed by Swedish willow at 4.4 €GJ−1 and Brazilian eucalyptus is produced to the lowest costs at 2.8 €GJ−1. It was assessed to what extent production costs can be reduced per step in the production cycle and how this affects the minimum cost levels that can ultimately be achieved. Ultimate cost reduction could lead to delivered costs of 2.2 €GJ−1 for poplar, 1.9 €GJ−1 for willow and 1.9 €GJ−1 for eucalyptus on better quality lands. Based on historic cost data and production trends, experience curves were applied providing progress ratios for poplar in Italy and eucalyptus in Brazil. Brazilian eucalyptus production follows a steeper slope (63–73%) than poplar in Italy (71–78%). The extent to, and rate at, which cost reductions can occur within the next 20 years were evaluated by combining current costs, minimum cost levels and progress ratios with ranges in European and global biomass demand projections. This shows that, at the assumed growth rates for biomass production in Europe and for global production, minimum cost levels can be reached within the next two decades for all cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper offers a critical look at how energy security-, food and agriculture-, and climate change-oriented international organizations frame biomass energy production in developing countries, in particular, ethanol production in Brazil. Using the world-economy system as a theoretical lens, the paper raises a concern as to whether the way these global institutions frame bioenergy's role in developing regions manifests energy and ecological inequalities between the core and the periphery, as well as creates internal contradictions that perpetuate unequal exchange embedded in the system. Simultaneously, these organizations frame Brazil as a semi-peripheral state that, while successful in finding a niche concurring with the core's demand for cheap energy and cost-effective decarbonization strategies, is not necessarily a suitable role model for the periphery's socio–economic development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on the general acceptance that greenhouse gases from biomass can provide a low carbon energy source, bioenergy pathways are being increasingly included in many countries renewable energy and emission reduction strategies. As a result demand for biomass is rising fast with several regions forecast to encounter major resource stresses over the coming decades. The bioenergy strategies of many countries rely heavily on future imported resource to balance their bioenergy resource demands. Applying a Biomass Resource Model to evaluate and forecast the types and potential availability of different categories of biomass resources from Brazil – a case study of a country with extensive biomass resources and export potential. This research evaluates Brazil's biomass potential to 2030, and analyses the levels of resource that may be available to export. The research finds that Brazil has extensive biomass resources that are potentially sufficient to both balance Brazilian total primary energy demand by 2030 and for Brazil to increasingly become a major exporter of resource for energy end uses. The paper also discusses the potential impact for global biomass trade, if countries such as Brazil were to adopt energy strategies that resulted in greater domestic use of their available biomass. The research's analysis shows that if the Brazilian Government were to adopt strategies to utilise a greater proportion of its resource for domestic energy, Brazil could export up to >25.8% less biomass by 2030 compared to forecast export levels based on Brazil's current policy framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioeconomy development requires the adoption of a comprehensive concept of biorefinery. This study analyzes the experts' perceptions regarding biorefinery concepts and discusses the implications for development of the bioeconomy in Brazil. Forty‐five statements about biorefinery concepts were prepared. Statements were grouped accordingly to assess whether the experts agree more with a conventional, transitional or comprehensive biorefinery concept. The statements were organized and submitted to the experts following the procedures outlined by Q‐methodology. Thirty‐six experts from the government (13), academia (17) and industry (6) participated in the study. Government, academic and industry experts answered 'what is a biorefinery?' differently. Biorefinery as a biobased value chain, a bioecological economic model and the basis for sustainable energy production were the most relevant among the eight factors explaining the experts' perspectives on biorefinery (63.35% of the total variation). Since the perspectives on biorefinery vary among experts from different sectors, we conclude that joint efforts should be made to adopt a comprehensive biorefinery concept to enhance the transition to the bioeconomy. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Northeast Brazil, the use of biomass for energy generation is settled on traditional productive arrangements, such as a sugarcane production system in the humid Atlantic coastal area and firewood extraction from native tropical dry forests in the west. In parallel, substantial amounts of other biomass sources, such as residues from agricultural or urban processes, are still little used or wholly wasted, fudging the opportunity to generate new value chains based on these biomass sources. We hypothesize that using these non-traditional biomass sources to produce biofuels would significantly increase the regional bioenergy supply. In this context, this article discusses the potential for the production and use of biofuels and bioenergy in Northeast Brazil and its effects on regional development, which may be useful for both private actors and policymakers in the energy sector. The use of biomass sources for energy in the region is significant, reaching approximately 8.8 million tons of oil equivalent (toe) per year, emphasizing the already consolidated production of sugarcane and its derivatives. The use of all biomass resources in the Northeast region could supply around 4% of the Brazilian national electrical energy demand, with an environmental footprint of 0.055 tCO2eq per toe, which would contribute to reducing emissions from the Brazilian energy matrix generation. Regarding the spatial distribution of biomass sources, sugarcane prevails on the coast, firewood and livestock manure in the dryland area towards the west, and municipal solid waste is distributed throughout the region within urban areas. Different from what we expected, the potential energy recovery from municipal waste and animal manure would increase by only 17% the current bioenergy supply. In the future, since the majority of the region presents a semi-arid climate with limited rainfall, to increase the use of biomass as an energy source, there is a need to increase the supply of biomass sources with high efficiency in water use and good yields in drylands. For this, the cultivation and use of cacti and agave, for example, could contribute to making biorefineries viable in the region. Above all, public policies for harnessing bioenergy in NE Brazil must seek opportunities associated with the carbon/decarbonization economy, with studies being needed to assess the technical, economic, social, and environmental viability of future productive arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• BECCS assessment of a power system based on biomass gasification (BIG-CC), integrated into a sugarcane plant. • CO 2 capture by the pre-combustion route has less impact on the sale of surplus electricity. • The CO 2 mitigation cost was estimated at 60 €/tCO 2 for pre-combustion and 52 €/tCO 2 for post-combustion. • The feasibility of CO 2 capture is impacted by the scale and cost of electricity generation. • Conventional cogeneration systems (CEST) are suggested for the first BECCS units. In order to make feasible the efforts that would limit the rise of Earth's temperature to no more than 2 °C, profound changes are required in the energy systems. In this sense, BECCS are considered instrumental to attain possible negative emissions. This draws attention to the sugarcane industry in Brazil, where it is possible to produce fuel ethanol at a relative low cost and a large amount of relatively cheap biomass is available. This paper is part of a research that aims to study the combined production of liquid fuels and electricity, using sustainable sources of biomass and maximizing carbon capture. Two cases related to an innovative technology were evaluated and in both the capture is based on amine technology: pre-combustion capture of CO 2 from the fuel gas derived from biomass gasification, and post-combustion capture from gas turbine exhaust gases. Information from the scientific literature was used in modelling the systems, as well as estimating energy penalties and costs associated with capturing, transporting and storing CO 2. The results indicate technical feasibility of both capture options, but difficulties in setting the full integration of the power unit (BIG-CC) with the sugarcane mill and the CCS system, due to the high demand for thermal energy as low-pressure steam. The estimated CO 2 abatement cost is in the range 60–71 €/tCO 2 for pre-combustion capture, and 52–63 €/tCO 2 in the case of post-combustion. Feasibility results are impacted by the scale of CO 2 capture (0.82–1.44 MtCO 2 /year), particularly in the pre-combustion case, and the relatively high cost of electricity generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy could play a major role in decarbonizing energy systems in the context of the Paris Agreement. Large‐scale bioenergy deployment could be related to sustainability issues and requires major infrastructure investments. It, therefore, needs to be studied carefully. The Bioenergy and Land Optimization Spatially Explicit Model (BLOEM) presented here allows for assessing different bioenergy pathways while encompassing various dimensions that influence their optimal deployment. In this study, BLOEM was applied to the Brazilian context by coupling it with the Brazilian Land Use and Energy Systems (BLUES) model. This allowed investigating the most cost‐effective ways of attending future bioenergy supply projections and studying the role of recovered degraded pasture lands in improving land availability in a sustainable and competitive manner. The results show optimizing for limiting deforestation and minimizing logistics costs results in different outcomes. It also indicates that recovering degraded pasture lands is attractive from both logistics and climate perspectives. The systemic approach of BLOEM provides spatial results, highlighting the trade‐offs between crop allocation, land use and the logistics dynamics between production, conversion, and demand, providing valuable insights for regional and national climate policy design. This makes it a useful tool for mapping sustainable bioenergy value chain pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of wood as a bioenergetic source requires knowledge of its technical properties. The rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis has an economic life cycle of 25 to 30 years in Brazil. It is used for extracting rubber and generating residual wood for fuel. Our goal was to characterize the wood quality of 10 clonal progenies as a source of raw material for bioenergy. Ten clonal progenies of 12-year-old Hevea brasiliensis from an experimental planting in Selvíria municipality were evaluated. Three trees per clone were evaluated for individual properties of Higher Heating Value, immediate chemical analysis, chemical composition, fiber dimensions, thermogravimetric analysis of wood under nitrogen atmosphere and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis. We highlight clone IAC 311 for fuel because it presents elevated Higher Heating Value and fixed carbon and less volatile material. However, the other genetic materials studied also meet the specifications for energy use and can be highly viable given their physical, chemical, energy, and thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive cropland expansion for an increasing population has driven soil degradation worldwide. Modeling how agroecosystems respond to variations in soil attributes, relief and crop management dynamics can guide soil conservation. This research presents a new approach to evaluate soil loss by water erosion in cropland using the RUSLE model and Synthetic Soil Image (spectroscopy technique), which uses time series remotely sensed environmental, agricultural and anthropic variables, in the southeast region of São Paulo State, Brazil. The availability of the open-access satellite images of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Landsat satellite images provided ten years of rainfall data and 35 years of exposed soil surface. The bare soil surface and agricultural land use were extracted, and the multi-temporal rainfall erosivity was assessed. We predict soil maps' attributes (texture and organic matter) through innovative soil spectroscopy techniques to assess the soil erodibility and soil loss tolerance. The erosivity, erodibility, and topography obtained by the Earth observations were adopted to estimate soil erosion in four scenarios of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) residue coverage (0%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) in five years of the sugarcane cycle: the first year of sugarcane harvest and four subsequent harvesting years from 2013 to 2017. Soil loss tolerance means 4.3 Mg ha−1 exceeds the minimum rate in 40% of the region, resulting in a total soil loss of ~6 million Mg yr−1 under total coverage management (7 Mg ha−1). Our findings suggest that sugarcane straw production has not been sufficient to protect the soil loss against water erosion. Thus, straw removal is unfeasible unless alternative conservation practices are adopted, such as minimum soil tillage, contour lines, terracing and other techniques that favor increases in organic matter content and soil flocculating cations. This research also identifies a spatiotemporal erosion-prone area that requests an immediately sustainable land development guide to restore and rehabilitate the vulnerable ecosystem service. The high-resolution spatially distribution method provided can identify soil degradation-prone areas and the cropland expansion frequency. This information may guide farms and the policymakers for a better request of conservation practices according to site-specific management variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, bioelectricity generation from sugarcane bagasse and black liquor is regarded as a sustainable electricity supply option. However, questions regarding land use, investment decisions, and demand for paper, ethanol and sugar make its future role uncertain. The aim of this paper is to present a novel modelling framework based on a soft-link between a multi-sectoral Brazilian integrated assessment model (MUSE-Brazil) and an electricity portfolio optimisation model (EPOM). The proposed framework is capable of dynamically simulating sectoral electricity demand, regional bioenergy production under land use constraints and optimal power sector technological shares in each of the electricity subsystems. Considering Brazil under a 2 °C carbon budget, two scenarios based on economic attractiveness of producing second-generation ethanol have been investigated. Under the scenario where second-generation ethanol is not produced, outputs indicate that by 2050, Brazil would increase sugarcane and wood production by 68% and 49% respectively without causing direct or indirect deforestation. Agriculture intensification is evidenced as an alternative for reducing land use disruptions. Bioelectricity share is projected to remain around 9–10%. However, if second generation ethanol becomes cost-effective, thus limiting bagasse availability, the share of bioelectricity production would decrease to approximately 7.7%, with natural gas-fired plants playing a stronger role in the future power system expansion, causing an increase on electricity sector emissions. • A novel framework considering energy systems and portfolio optimisation is proposed. • Two different carbon constrained bioelectricity scenarios in Brazil are investigated. • Power system emissions could represent between 13.3% and 14.5% of the carbon budget. • Controlling deforestation in the Amazon is fundamental to reach mitigation targets. • Bioelectricity potential is considerably reduced when 2G ethanol is produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy from sugarcane production is considered a key mitigation strategy for global warming. Improving its representation in land surface models is important to further understand the interactions between climate and bioenergy production, supporting accurate climate projections and decision‐making. This study aimed to calibrate and evaluate the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) for climate impact assessments in sugarcane. A dataset composed of soil moisture, water and carbon fluxes and biomass measurements from field experiments across Brazil was used to calibrate and evaluate JULES‐crop and JULES‐BE parametrizations. The ability to predict the spatiotemporal variability of sugarcane yields and the impact of climate change was also tested at five Brazilian microregions. Parameters related to sugarcane allometry, crop growth and development were derived and tested for JULES‐crop and JULES‐BE, together with the response to atmospheric carbon dioxide, temperature and low‐water availability (CTW‐response). Both parametrizations showed comparable performance to other sugarcane dynamic models, with a root mean squared error of 6.75 and 6.05 t ha−1 for stalk dry matter for JULES‐crop and JULES‐BE, respectively. The parametrizations were also able to replicate the average yield patterns observed in the five microregions over 30 years when the yield gap factors were taken into account, with the correlation (r) between simulated and observed interannual variability of yields ranging from 0.33 to 0.56. An overall small positive trend was found in future yield projections of sugarcane using the new calibrations, with exception of the Jataí mesoregion which showed a clear negative trend for the SSP5 scenario from the years 2070 to 2100. Our simulations showed that an abrupt negative impact on sugarcane yields is expected if daytime temperatures above 35°C become more frequent. The newly calibrated version of JULES can be applied regionally and globally to help understand the interactions between climate and bioenergy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at investigating the binderless densification of biomass for the production of a durable solid biofuel by mixing cassava rhizome, sugarcane bagasse, and sugarcane straw. Six different treatments were applied with specific percentages of these three biomass feedstocks for the densification in a lab-scale press with heating of 120 °C. Three blend treatments and three 100% material treatments (without mix) were analyzed. Achieved briquettes were examined via various tests including proximate analysis, volumetric expansion, compression test, and energy index to assess the mechanical and energetic properties. Results indicated that the mixtures are suitable for the production of briquettes and treatment B2 was the best blend for briquette production. This study suggested that binderless densification of biomass can be achieved with the mixing of cassava rhizome, sugarcane bagasse, and sugarcane straw, which will support the development of qualified solid biofuels without the cost of binders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land‐use change (LUC)‐related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions determine largely whether bioenergy is a suitable option for climate change mitigation. This study assesses how LUC emissions influence demand for bioenergy to mitigate GHG emissions, and how this affects the energy mix, using Brazil as a case study. A methodological framework is applied linking bioenergy supply curves, with associated costs and spatially explicit LUC emissions, to a bottom‐up energy system model. Furthermore, the influence of four key determining parameters is assessed: agricultural productivity, time horizon, natural succession (NS), and the use of dynamic emission factors (EFs). Demand for new bioenergy plantations range from 0.5 to 6.7 EJ in 2050, and is avoided when its EF reaches above 15 kg CO2/GJbiomass. Dynamic EFs result in earlier and larger use of bioenergy. Static EFs attenuate all emissions evenly over time, resulting in relative high emissions around 2050 when the carbon budget is most stringent. This in contrast to dynamic EFs, having early high peaks because of clearance of natural vegetation, but relatively small long‐term emissions when the carbon budget is most stringent. Exclusion of NS, in combination with spared agricultural land, results in a demand of 6.7 EJ, because of its low carbon penalty. Assuming that land is spared due to continuous yield increase (which is the reason to include NS as and EF component), bypasses the fact that yield improvements (that make those lands available) take place because of demand for bioenergy. When low‐carbon biomass is in limited availability, increasing electrification is observed, leading to electric capacity increase of 62% (mainly wind and solar energy), and a 12% energy system costs increase. Inclusion of spatiotemporal explicit supply potential and LUC emissions leads to improved bioenergy deployment pathways that come closer to the real situation as the dynamic nature of LUC emissions is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since the year 2000 or so there has been a rapid growth on fuel ethanol production and consumption, particularly in US and Brazil. Ethanol trade represented about 10% of world consumption in 2005, Brazil being the main exporter. The most important consumer markets—US and European Union (EU)—have trade regimes that constrained the comparative advantages of the most efficient producers, such as Brazil. This paper evaluates the fuel ethanol market up to 2030 together with the potential for international biotrade. Based on forecasts of gasoline consumption and on targets and mandates of fuel ethanol use, it is estimated that demand could reach 272Gl in 2030, displacing 10% of the estimated demand of gasoline (Scenario 1), or even 566Gl in the same year, displacing about 20% of the gasoline demand (Scenario 2). The analysis considers fuel ethanol consumption and production in US, EU-25, Japan, China, Brazil and the rest of the world (ROW-BR). Without significant production of ethanol from cellulosic materials in this period, displacing 10% of the gasoline demand in 2030, at reasonable cost, can only be accomplished by fostering fuel ethanol production in developing countries and enhancing ethanol trade. If the US and EU-25 reach their full production potential (based on conventional routes), the minimum amount that could be traded in 2030 would be about 34Gl. Displacing 20% of the gasoline demand by 2030 will require the combined development of second-generation technologies and large-scale international trade in ethanol fuel. Without second-generation technologies, Scenario 2 could become a reality only with large-scale production of ethanol from sugarcane in developing countries, e.g., Brazil and ROW-BR could be able to export at least 14.5Gl in 2010, 73.9Gl in 2020 and 71.8Gl in 2030. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this paper is twofold: (i) to build a model by combining an agglomerative hierarchical algorithm with multicriteria analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) in order to identify whether there are opportunities to create strategic partnerships based on geographic coordinates of raw material suppliers and the volume of raw material supply; and (ii) to apply the model in a case study in order to identify suitable locations for building a biodigester, thus establishing strategic partnerships and circular economy-based practices. The model involves four stages: (1) defining the study site, (2) building the set of cluster solutions, (3) defining the suitable locations for building a biodigester, and (4) conducting analyses of feasibility of strategic partnership and sensitivity. The model was applied in a small region and it was analyzed the possibility of creating two or three clusters. The use of the model allowed, from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, to preliminarily identify the possibility of creating a strategic partnership, and also determine the location of a biodigester. The case study applied in southern Brazil took place in a region with high potential for generating biogas from agro-waste. A geographic map with roads, rivers, and constraints was built. Strategic partnerships, sensitivity analysis, and circular economy-based practices were discussed. The results of this work could provide useful information when using the model for other regions, and the model could easily incorporate further criteria and conditions, making it flexible and tailored to users' needs. • An important source of clean energy that has been gaining interest worldwide is biogas. • The study build a model by combining an agglomerative hierarchical algorithm with multicriteria GIS. • The work identify whether there are opportunities to create strategic partnerships based on geographical coordinates. • The model was applied in a case study in order to identify suitable locations for the installation of a biodigester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an assessment of sugar‐energy sector expansion in Brazil, focusing on the growth of the bioelectricity supply and considering two scenarios. The first scenario, called the BASE scenario, was based on the projection made by the Brazilian Energy Research Company (EPE) for the Brazilian commitments at the Paris agreement, presented during the COP 21 (Conference of the parties) conference and ratified in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), assuming that all the electricity from biomass could be produced by the sugarcane sector. The second is a scenario considering a higher share of the sugar‐energy sector in the Brazilian electricity matrix, called the BIO scenario. The investment needed for each scenario was evaluated, using a bottom‐up approach and assuming currently available technologies. The results showed that the BIO scenario could produce 55 TWh of surplus electricity more than the BASE scenario, boosting the share of the sugar‐energy sector in the electricity matrix, reaching a total of almost 130 TWh per year and requiring an additional investment that was 39% higher than in the BASE scenario. As the sugarcane surplus electricity could replace electricity from natural gas power plants, the BIO scenario could reduce emissions by 18.4 MtCO2eq in comparison with the BASE scenario. Through the input–output model used to evaluate the socioeconomic impacts, it was observed that the BIO scenario could add 919 000 job positions and cause a positive impact to the gross domestic product (GDP) of US$ 28.8 billion, which corresponds, in comparison with the BASE scenario, to adding 83 000 more job positions, and provides a 12.5% higher contribution to GDP. The total output was 8.6% higher in the BIO scenario in comparison with the BASE scenario. All of these analyses were carried out for three selected regions in the country: the traditional region, comprising São Paulo and Paraná states; the expansion region, including Goiás, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states; and the rest of Brazil region. A spillover effect was observed over the total output in the Rest of Brazil region, showing that the impact of the investment over this region was proportionally higher in comparison to the investment done in other in other regions. The Rest of Brazil Region also presents a higher share of the indireect effects over the GDP, jobs created and total output. The final results of this research show the potential of the sugar‐energy sector to boost electricity generation, which can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and to preserving the share of renewable sources in the Brazilian electricity matrix and increasing energy security and generation closer to the biggest centers of consumption, mitigating challenges for electricity transmission between subsystems in the National Interconnected System (SIN). © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil fuels dominate the current energy and chemicals' supply and this leads to a rapid growth in global greenhouse gas emissions. One mitigation option is using renewable feedstock for materials, chemicals (ethylene, propylene, acrylic acid and butanol) and, mostly, energy carriers (biodiesel, renewable jet fuel, ethanol and bioelectricity). This study demonstrates the effects of an economy based on biomass (bioeconomy) on macroeconomic aspects through a Computable General Equilibrium model. Three scenarios for 2030 were created to compare different levels of production (amount of chemicals and energy production through fossils versus biomass) for Brazil, based on sugarcane, soy and forest crops. Two important methodological aspects of this paper are the financial support provided by the government to enable the bioeconomy, and the limitations in land use established by the needs to reduce emissions. Overall, the results show that a bioeconomy could result in almost irrelevant negative impacts on GDP and in small increases in unemployment rate comparing to the reference scenario. However, these effects could be reversed, even with no deforestation, if the livestock and agriculture sectors increased their efficiency regarding land. Most importantly, if the livestock sector worked as a source of land for other crops in the event of a bioeconomy, the socioeconomic response would be more positive than if deforestation took place. • This study analyzes the impacts of a bioeconomy on the Brazilian economy in 2030. • It includes biochemicals, bioenergy and biomaterials based on sugars and lignocellulosic materials. • The analysis includes land use, restricting the increase in land endowment, or deforestation. • Results show that actions are needed regarding land productivities to prevent negative impacts on the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is consensus that the use of renewable energy must be expanded. More and more restrictions on the use of fossil derived fuels may open the way for an increased consumption of biomass event those so far not perceived as feasible, such some biomass residue. Energy derived from biomass residues may provide even more benefits because it may replace other sources of higher-grade energy while providing proper destination for residues. Biomass from pruning residue has been overlooked as an energy resource due to many limitations. This paper addresses the issue and the means for energy valuation of pruning residues while provides final destination for them. It presents a framework to overcome most of today's challenges across the world. A case study was carried out to determine the main constraints and how they can influence the decision-making process. The variety of urban pruning residues and their rate of generation, handling, storage, logistics, economic and environmental issues, institutional regulations for a small city in Southern Brazil were taken into consideration in the analysis. Pruning residues were sampled in the field, then handled, shredded, dried, specified, stored and burnt in a concurrent woodburning furnace for testing. The diagnostics of the constraints and the lab tests were summarized and organized in a framework that aimed to assess the energy valuation of pruning residues. Results show that with proper assessment tools, projects, biomass analyses and burning technology energy valuation of pruning residues can be feasible. • Energy valuation of biomass pruning residues is feasible given proper conditions. • A novel assessment framework provides routes to overcome most of today's challenges. • A case study of energy valuation of urban pruning biomass residue in Brazil showed feasible to generate 1 to 1.5 MWe. • Information and data of bulk density, moisture content, heating value, of residues of five urban tree species. • Estimate of opportunity costs of disposal of biomass pruning residues in landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Artificial intelligence and GIS in the study of Acrocomia aculeata fruits quality. • The prediction model for macauba fruit components showed considerable reliability. • Some geographic regions revealed optimum suitability for macauba fruit development. • Temperature was the most important factor influencing six of eight fruit components. • Macauba agroclimatic zoning can lead to a more sustainable agriculture practice. Macauba palm (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd.) is an emergent oleaginous crop with undeniable economical potential that occurs naturally from south Mexico to south Brazil. Besides its oils, every biomass component from its fruit has a great manufacturing value, for either food or energy-based sectors. Thus, this paper main objective is to estimate the productive potential of eight fruit components (among oil content, weight, volume and internal structures dry mass) for a wide natural occurrence area of macauba trees, the Minas Gerais State, in Brazil. Prediction was based on six environmental attributes: terrain altitude; temperature; precipitation; solar radiation; distance from hydrography; and water deficit, utilizing Random Forest regression methodology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and ecophysiological assumptions. All eight fruit components presented high predictability. Temperature was the most influencing factor in almost all evaluated fruit components. The generated predictive maps can support decision making regarding planting orientation or industrial implantation. It is worth mentioning that a given location may have good productivity for a specific fruit component while being disadvantageous for others. This indicates the need for proper planning, management and/or cultivation objective. The study area presents a broad variety of environmental features, suggesting a promising productive potential for the entire specie natural occurrence area. Crop cultivation in adapted ecophysiological areas require fewer resources, what leads to a more sustainable agricultural system, with reduced environmental stress and risk of economic loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global promotion of bioenergy for mitigating climate changes has arisen the interest of the Brazilian sugarcane industry to use crop residue (straw) as an important source of biomass for bioelectricity and cellulosic ethanol production. However, the sugarcane straw influences several soil properties, supporting soil quality and crop yields. Thus, defining an optimal removal rate would keep the benefits of the sugarcane straw in soil, and also maximize the bioenergy production. Shifts on soil bacterial structure have been used as a sensitive indicator of land management and could help to prescribe an optimal removal rate. We conducted a field study at two sites in São Paulo state to investigate how rates of sugarcane straw removal are associated with soil bacterial community changes over 1 year. Four sugarcane straw removal rates were evaluated: no removal (~ 14 Mg ha−1 of dry mass left) and 50% (~ 7.0 Mg ha−1), 75% (~ 3.5 Mg ha−1), and 100% of straw removal. The soil bacterial community structure was evaluated by the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Our results indicated that soil bacteria communities change over time, regardless of site conditions, and their changes are more strongly associated with changes on straw composition. A similar straw decomposition dynamics was observed under moderate (50%) and no removal treatments. Moderate straw removal induced the lowest modification of the bacterial niche occupancy and highest microbial interaction when compared with the no removal. Therefore, the identification of changes in soil bacterial structure community is useful to provide guidance for sugarcane straw removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the 2010 to 2015 crisis in Brazil's sugarcane sector, mainly caused by government mandated fuel price ceilings, the sector has entered a new growth cycle spurred by implementation of the " RenovaBio " program in 2017. The government created RenovaBio to achieve two overarching goals: increase 2028 ethanol output by roughly 53% and incrementally increase this biofuel's share in the national energy matrix to meet GHG reduction targets established at the Paris Climate Conference - COP21. The study presented in this paper addresses the expansion of mill output to meet expected future demand by 2028 through application of a mixed-integer linear optimization model to (1) determine the amount of additional sugarcane production and mill processing capacity required to meet expected 2028 Brazilian ethanol and sugar demand and (2) optimize the location of this additional capacity to minimize production and transportation costs through the multimodal transportation network. Modeling results estimate that 151,106 t of additional sugarcane processing capacity is needed to meet forecast 2028 Brazilian demand for 41,106 m³ of sugarcane ethanol and 49,106 t of sugar. Expanded mill output will require that sugarcane cultivation increase over an additional 6% of the area defined by Brazilian Sugarcane Agroecological Zoning regulations as suitable for sugarcane cultivation. Following the model's recommended optimal spatial distribution of 2028 mill processing capacity, their output can be produced and transported at a total cost of US$ 458.65/m³ of ethanol and US$ 304.27/t of sugar, slightly below 2016 minimum total costs. • Optimal location of sugarcane crushing capacity in Brazil to meet estimated 2028 demand for ethanol and sugar. • MILP model applied to investigate the best locations for greenfield sugarcane mills. • Spatial optimization of sugar and ethanol supply and interregional freight flows through the multimodal network in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Bioethanol production from sugarcane represents an opportunity for urban-agricultural development in small communities of Ecuador. Despite the fact that the industry for bioethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil is fully developed, it is still considered expensive as a small rural business. In order to be able to reduce the costs of monitoring the production process, and avoid the application of expensive sensors, the aim of this research was modeling the kinetics of production of bioethanol based on direct measurements of Brix grades, instead of the concentration of alcohol, during the process of cane juice bio-fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This avoids the application of expensive sensors that increase the investment costs. Fermentation experiments with three concentrations of yeast and two temperatures were carried out in a laboratory reactor. In each case Brix grades, amount of ethanol and alcoholic degree were measured. A mathematical model to predict the quality and production of bioethanol was developed from Brix grade measurements, obtaining an adjusted coefficient of determination of 0.97. The model was validated in a pilot plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expected expansion of bioenergy in Brazil has raised concerns about the implications for its current comfortable situation of water resources availability. As water availability within the Brazilian territory is uneven, the bioenergy expansion might represent different impacts on the water resources of different regions. This work assessed, at the municipal and state levels, (i) the green and blue water footprint ( WF) of the main liquid biofuels produced in Brazil (sugarcane ethanol and biodiesel); (ii) the impacts of full and salvage irrigation strategies on sugarcane WF; and (iii) the water demand for different agricultural land use scenarios. For the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Goiás, the WF of sugarcane ethanol was evaluated around 71 L MJ-1, while in the state of Paraná it reaches 100 L MJ-1. For biodiesel, values were between 40 and 50 L MJ-1. The blue WF was negligible for both biofuels, as the use of irrigation is still limited in Brazil today. Additionally, the analysis showed that full and salvage irrigation strategies would lead to lower WFs in all states considered, though in the expense of larger volumes of blue WF. Regarding land use change, the results suggested that additional evapotranspiration is occurring due to sugarcane expansion. Nevertheless, given the current situation of the Brazilian water basins, there is no evidence that sugarcane expansion over these areas will lead to critical pressure on water resources. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural sanitation is still a challenge in developing countries, such as Brazil, where the majority population live with inadequate services, compromising public health and environmental safety. In this context, this study analyzed the demographic density of these rural agglomerations using secondary data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The goal was to identify the possibilities associated with using small-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors for sewage treatment, mainly focusing on biogas production and its conversion into energy for cooking, water heating and sludge sanitization. Results showed that most rural agglomerations lacking the appropriate sewage treatment were predominant from 500 to 1500 inhabitants in both northern and southern Brazilian regions. The thermal energy available in the biogas would be enough to sanitize the whole amount of sludge produced in the sewage treatment plants (STPs), producing biosolids for agricultural purposes. Furthermore, the surplus of thermal energy (after sludge sanitization) could be routed for cooking (replacing LPG) and for water heating (replacing electricity) in the northern and southern regions, respectively. This would benefit more than 200,000 families throughout rural areas of the country. Besides the direct social gains derived from the practice of supplying biogas for domestic uses in the vicinity of the STPs, there would be tremendous indirect gains related to the avoidance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, an anaerobic-based sewage treatment may improve public health conditions, life quality and generate added value products in Brazilian rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]