JBS has announced the installation of biodigesters to provide a new outlet for the methane gas emitted in its industrial operations – the production of biogas, a renewable and clean energy source.
Environmental Footprint
The first phase of the initiative covers the group's nine Friboi units and reduces the business's scope 1 emissions by 65%, representing a reduction of 24.6% in scope 1 emissions across all JBS activities in Brazil.
With a R$ 54 million (€10.2 million) investment, this is the largest project of its kind in Brazil's protein industry, reducing the environmental footprint of its production process.
Biogas
The biodigesters will capture the methane gas emitted by the company's operations and convert it to biogas.
According to the principles of the circular economy, biogas has a triple application – steam production in the boilers at the units, as a fuel for the fleet of JBS Transportadora, replacing diesel, or in a hybrid system.
Read More: Brazil's JBS Starts Building Lab-Grown Beef Factory In Spain
Scope 1
JBS says these applications enable a reduction in scope 1 (direct) and scope 2 (referring to electricity use) emissions.
To begin with, the project will be up and running by mid-June 202,3 at nine Friboi plants in the states of São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais and Rondônia.
The construction work at the units at Andradina (SP), which has had a biodigester system since 2021, Campo Grande I (MS), Lins (SP), Mozartlândia (GO) and Ituiutaba (MG) has been concluded. The others are in the final installation phase.
'Circular Economy'
"In line with our circular economy actions, the biodigesters will reduce our methane emissions and initiate the production of clean and renewable energy," said the corporate sustainability officer of JBS Brazil, Maurício Bauer.
"This project strengthens our view that agribusiness is part of the solution for addressing the challenges of climate change that the world is facing."
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest supply chain news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
