Use of firewood as a source of renewable energy in Brazil Flávio J. Simioni Santa Catarina State University (UDESC), Lages, Brazil – E-mail:
[email protected]
INTRODUCTION
RESULTS
The use of renewable energy sources is expressive in Brazil – 43.5%1). The major sources are: biomass from sugarcane (17.5%); hydropower (12.6%); and firewood and charcoal that represent 8.0% of gross domestic supply1). Firewood and charcoal are produced from eucalyptus forestry2).
Figure 2: Schematic representation of the Eucalyptus firewood production chains for energy purposes. Source: author.
Inputs
Timber Industry
By-products
Steam
Forest Production
Firewood
Heat
Charcoal
Steel Mill
Objective: to characterize three production chains of eucalyptus most typically used in Brazil, focusing on the challenges and potential for energy use.
Heat or Steam
METHODS Analysis of three production chains: Case 1) Firewood – large forestry; Case 2) Firewood – small farms; Case 3) charcoal – large forestry. Data collect: visits and planned interviews with different agents that represent the productive chain. Figure 1: Maps of the firewood and charcoal production in Brazil3).
Charcoal
Case 1: large-scale forest production aimed at multiple forest use: wood for timber industry and firewood. Case 2: small farms producing firewood for use in rural properties and selling surplus to the other farms. Case 3: vertically integrated production chain with the steel industry, with large-scale forestry production, high technology and mechanization. Forestry foment strategy is also used.
CONCLUSIONS Challenges: wood supply planning; public policy; genetic improvement of eucalyptus for energy use; diffusion of technologies and production costs. Potential: land availability; high productivity of forests.
REFERENCES 1. Brazilian Energy Balance 2017 Year 2016 / Empresa de Pesquisa Energética – Rio de Janeiro: EPE, 2017. https://ben.epe.gov.br/downloads/Relatorio_Final_BEN_2017.pdf 2. IBA. Indústria Brasileira de Árvores, 2017. shared/Biblioteca/IBA_RelatorioAnual2017.pdf
Report.
http://iba.org/images/
3. IBGE. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Produção da Extração Vegetal e da Silvicultura. 2016. https://sidra.ibge.gov.br/pesquisa/pevs/tabelas/brasil/2016
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was funded by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - EMBRAPA.
