Assessment of sustainable production potential of sugarcane bioenergy in South Africa, Mozambique, Colombia and Guatemala

• Grant number: 15/02270-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2015
• End date: May 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Augusto Horta Nogueira
• Grantee: Simone Pereira de Souza
• Host Institution: Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energético (NIPE). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 12/00282-3 - Bioenergy contribution of Latin America, Caribbean and Africa to the GSB project - LACAF-Cane I, AP.BIOEN.TEM

Abstract

Around 60% of the total world's potentially available land could be used to produce bioenergy by 2050 (440 Mha), of which almost 100% are placed in Latin America & Caribbean and Africa. In this sense, it is clear that the world will depend on these continents for future expansion of bioenergy. However, the advance of modern energy alternatives may face challenges such as technical, environmental, economic, social and political aspects. Driven by these issues, this project aims to assess the feasibility and desirability of sustainable bioenergy systems for selected regions. Sugarcane-based energy is the focus of such modern bioenergy systems. Initially, Colombia, Guatemala, Mozambique and South Africa will be selected for the case studies due to their promising sugarcane production potential, as identified by preliminary studies developed by LACAf Project team. An integrated analysis will be developed using multifaceted aspects related to the bioenergy production aiming to identify the feasibility of new bioenergy projects in the selected regions. Once identified as feasible, the desirability of such proposals will be assessed based on two key questions: 1) "why has it not yet been implemented?", and 2) "how do make it desirable?". Regarding the desirability assessment, the methodology includes a guideline for public consultation and communication. Aiming to communicate the results in a practical and accessible way to the stakeholders, the strengths and weaknesses related to the feasibility (internal factors) and the opportunities and threats associated to the implementation (external factor), will be combined through a SWOT analysis. The dissemination of the results will be done by publishing scientific papers in journals of selective editorial policy. As a first proposal, this project will contribute to the following papers, with possible changes in the titles: 1) "The Role of Biofuels in Energy Security in Mozambique"; 2) "Diagnosis of energy situation in Guatemala: should ethanol be produced?"; 3) "Promoting Sustainable Bioenergy Systems in Latin America and Africa: From feasibility to desirability"; 4) "Socioeconomic impacts in Guatemala due to sustainable sugarcane bioethanol production scenario".

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOUZA, SIMONE P.; NOGUEIRA, LUIZ A. HORTA; WATSON, HELEN K.; LYND, LEE RYBECK; ELMISSIRY, MOSAD; CORTEZ, LUIS A. B.. Potential of sugarcane in Modern energy Development in southern africa. FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH, v. 4, DEC 26 2016. (12/00282-3, 15/02270-0)

SOUZA, SIMONE PEREIRA; HORTA NOGUEIRA, LUIZ AUGUSTO; MARTINEZ, JOHAN; BARBOSA CORTEZ, LUIS AUGUSTO. Sugarcane can afford a cleaner energy profile in Latin America & Caribbean. RENEWABLE ENERGY, v. 121, p. 164-172, JUN 2018. (12/00282-3, 15/02270-0)