Substitution of Native Firewood by Rice Husk
Project Type: Biomass
Location: Brazil
The fuel-switch project reduces greenhouse gases through substitution of the native firewood by rice husk for thermal energy generation used on the ceramic firing process. The rice husk is a renewable biomass that presents a shorter renewal cycle when compared to the native firewood renewal cycle.
Project Background
The main objective of the project is to reduce the consumption of native wood as primary energy source in two small ceramic manufacturing plants by switching to renewable biomass residues as an energy source. The native wood is replaced by rice straw that otherwise would be left in a solid waste disposal producing methane emissions through anaerobic decomposition. Both plants consume around 2,700 m3 of rice straw per month, avoiding the deforestation of approx. 3,300 hectares per year.
Since the same ovens continue to be used, the project basically consists of activities aiming at the adaptation of the existing technology to the rice straw, such as minor changes in the transportation of the new combustible and the adaptation of the technology applied to feed the ovens.
Nevertheless, the project proponents face significant financial barriers which the revenues provided by the sale of the emission reductions help to overcome.
Sustainable development
Deforestation is doubtlessly one of the most important ecological threats in the project region at the current stage. Due to its high replication potential the project can considerably contribute to finding alternatives for the use of valuable wood resources as primary energy source in one of the most environmentally vulnerable regions of Brazil.
For the implementation of the project an innovative planning methodology was used that allows to precisely assess the contribution to sustainable development of the project measuring the impact of the project activity for all relevant sustainability parameters, such as biodiversity and other natural resources, human and social resources as well as financial resources.
