Brazil's Senate is set to vote on a bill requiring thermoelectric plants to use biomethane as part of their fuel mix commencing 2026, according to a report by Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo.
According to Estadão, the bill's inclusion of flexible thermoelectric plants, which are activated during water crises, follows negotiations in the country's Senate Infrastructure Committee.
The bill's amendment is likely to boost demand for biomethane, which, in Brazil, is primarily produced from sugarcane bagasse feedstock and waste decomposition materials.
The bill aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by mandating the use of biomethane, starting with a 1% reduction target that could rise to 10%.
To meet this target, Brazil would need to produce 850,000 cubic metres of biomethane daily by 2026.
However, Abrace - an association representing large energy consumers - has estimated this would lead to an estimated cost increase of BRL658mn ($116.6mn) per year for gas consumers.
Brazil to vote on plants’ mandatory use of biomethane
