A spatially explicit assessment of sugarcane vinasse as a sustainable by-product

Author(s)

Buller, Luz Selene ^[1] ; da Silva Romero, Cristhy Willy ^[2] ; Camargo Lamparelli, Rubens Augusto ^[3] ; Ferreira, Samuel Fontenelle ^[1] ; Bortoleto, Ana Paula ^[4] ; Mussatto, I, Solange ; Forster-Carneiro, Tania ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Food Engn, UNICAMP, Rua Monteiro Lobato 80, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Agr Engn, UNICAMP, Ave Candido Rondon 501, BR-13083875 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas, Interdisciplinary Ctr Energy Planning NIPE, UNICAMP, Rua Cora Coralina, BR-13083896 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Civil Engn Architecture & Urban Design, UNICAMP, Rua Saturnino de Brito 224, BR-13083889 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Science of The Total Environment; v. 765, APR 15 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

This study evaluates the benefits of mineral fertilizers replacement for biodigested vinasse. Data from experimental anaerobic digestion (AD) of vinasse were applied to support the analysis. Based on previous experiments, this assessment assumed that vinasse production could reach 2.38 x 10(7) m(3)/year generating around 66,585 MWh/year of electric energy from biogas burning in the Administrative Region of Campinas (ARC). This amount of energy could supply more than 103,000 inhabitants and avoid 35,892 tCO(2eq)/year (from electric energy replacement). The biodigested vinasse might also reduce the total N, P, and K mineral fertilizers demand per hectare of sugarcane crop in 30%, 1%, and 46%, respectively, avoiding additional greenhouse gas emissions of 111,877 tCO(2)eq/year. There is no biodigested vinasse surplus for a moderate fertigation rate of 100 m(3)/ha, complying with local environmental laws related to nutrients excess side effects in areas destined to sugarcane crop. Notwithstanding, a Geographic Information System analysis for a small adjacent area to ARC indicated nine different fertigation rates, ranging from 50 to 100 m(3)/ha. Even though the general analysis for ARC shows high NPK replacement levels, the fertigation practices should be subsidized for robust soil analysis and adequate to safe environmental levels. A management tool can be designed using the results here presented to subsidize investments for AD widespread adoption by the sugarcane industry to catch a reasonable practice from the economic and environmental perspectives. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/05999-0 - Waste2energy: integration of the supercritical and anaerobic digestion technologies for the management of water and food waste
• Grantee: Tânia Forster Carneiro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/50612-8 - An integrated approach to explore a novel paradigm for biofuel production from lignocellulosic feedstocks
• Grantee: Telma Teixeira Franco
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/14938-4 - Waste2energy: integration of supercritical technologies and anaerobic digestion through an automated system for the production of biofuel precursors
• Grantee: Tânia Forster Carneiro
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants - Phase 2