Effects of Biodiesel Expansion and the Exchange of Triglyceride Sources in the Brazilian Energy Scenario

Abstract

The concern with global warming impacts on the environment has made the world population search for new energy sources that are less aggressive to the environment. Therefore, biodiesel has become more relevant and has expanded its proportion in the blend with diesel. However, Brazil still uses about 20% of bovine tallow, which emits large amount of GHG, degrades the soil and entails great water consumption. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibilities and effects of the substitution of this nonrenewable source for others of vegetable origin, as well as the environmental effects of increasing the percentage of biodiesel, reaching levels of 20% and 30%. Hence, two types of biodiesel were produced and tested, with and without bovine tallow, and the results obtained and data from the diesel fleet were used to model the impacts and CO2eq emissions with the aid of the MoMo Lite model in Brazil. It was possible to determine the great benefit of adopting higher levels of biodiesel in diesel (especially when there was a substitution of bovine tallow for plant sources), besides the importance of adopting broader analysis of the whole production cycle of the raw material. Since only CO2eq emission data were observed at the burning, the results varied only 10%, but when the results were analyzed through the well-to-tank, this variation rose to 52%.