Rogério Meneghetti, Superintendent of Renewable Energies at the plant, recalled Itaipu’s 20 years of pioneering work in the sector in partnership with CIBiogás.
The Superintendent of Renewable Energies at Itaipu Binacional, Rogério Meneghetti, took part this Wednesday (13th) in the roundtable “Applications of Biogas in the Brazilian Agro-Industry,” held at the Emílio Goeldi Paraense Museum. The event is part of the COP30 program in Belém (PA).
Meneghetti noted that Itaipu has been investing in biogas solutions for two decades and has been advancing renewable fuel projects such as the development of synthetic oil — the bio-syncrude — using biogas and green hydrogen, in partnership with the International Center for Renewable Energies (CIBiogás).
The innovation represents a significant step forward for the circular economy and the pursuit of low-carbon fuels. The project, which in March was just an idea, has materialized into a vial of biofuel. The intention, according to those involved, is to present the solution as a concrete example of the potential of the Brazilian bioeconomy to the world.
During the debate, which focused on the GEF Biogás Brasil Project — an initiative led by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) — the superintendent also highlighted how biogas has shifted from being a niche solution to becoming a strategic and essential pillar in the decarbonization of the economy.
Itaipu began investing in renewable fuels, among other reasons, to protect the reservoir from agro-industrial waste — a common characteristic in the region, known for being one of the country’s largest producers of pigs and poultry — and today reaps the benefits of a consolidated ecosystem.
“Biogas is a triple-impact solution: environmental, social, and economic. It turns an environmental liability into an energy asset, reducing pollution, generating income for rural producers, and strengthening our energy matrix,” said Meneghetti.
Since 2018, the number of biogas plants in Brazil has increased from approximately 500 to more than 1,600. “Itaipu’s actions were fundamental in paving the way, especially through the creation of Demonstration Units and the ‘tropicalization’ and adaptation of technologies to Brazil’s climatic, cultural, and production reality.”
The panel, moderated by the Secretary of Technological Development and Innovation at MCTI, Daniel Gomes de Almeida Filho, also featured the participation of the CEO of CIBiogás, Felipe Marques, and the Coordinator of the Circular Economy and Innovation Program at the School of Sociology and Politics Foundation of São Paulo (FESPSP), Ana Paula Bernardes.
