Biomass offered 17,356 GWh for the National Interconnected System (SIN), an increase of 11% over that produced in the same period of last year, according to data Union of the Sugarcane Industry (UNICA), based on preliminary data from the Electric Energy Trading Chamber (CCEE).
“The increase was favored by the dry climate observed since the beginning of this harvest, which helped in the cane harvest and, consequently, in obtaining biomass for the generation of bioelectricity. However, by the end of this year, this percentage may vary depending on the anticipated anticipated closure of sugarcane milling by the plants in the Center-South, “Zilmar de Souza, UNICA’s Bioelectricity Manager, notes in a note.
According to UNICA’s survey, the supply of bioelectricity between January and August of this year represented 4.7% of the national electricity consumption. The percentage can reach up to 8% in the months in which the pace of the sugarcane harvest advances in the Center-South, from March to October.
Still, according to Zilmar, this renewable bioelectricity energy offered to the SIN from January to August 2018 was equivalent to having avoided the emission of more than 5 million tons of CO2, a mark that would only be reached with the cultivation of 36 millions of native trees over 20 years. Also due to generation occurring during the dry period of the system, 12% of the water in the hydroelectric reservoirs of the main sub-market of the electric sector, Southeast / Center-West, responsible for almost 60% of the national consumption was saved. On Tuesday (18), the reservoirs in this region operated with less than 25% of its capacity.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.