The World Biogas Association BRAZIL Congress 2024 took place on 1 October, and ran concurrently with the G20 Energy meetings in Foz do Iguaçu. According to organizers, the World Biogas Association (WBA): “The event represented a historic milestone for the Brazilian biogas industry and marked the start of the development of a National Biogas Roadmap with the support of WBA.”
One of the main outcomes of the Congress was the commitment to create a National Biogas Roadmap, to be developed by COP30, due to take place place in Belém (Pará) in 2025. This roadmap aims to align the interests of multiple stakeholders across relevant ministries, departments, agencies, institutions, and sectors, and develop a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework, support a capacity building programme, and model the supply chain requirements.
In her speech, Charlotte Morton OBE, WBA Chief Executive, emphasised Brazil’s role in the global renewable energy landscape: “Brazil is a bioenergy powerhouse with a vast biogas potential and a clear political focus on the fuels of the future. Yet, 95% of this potential remains untapped – the World Biogas Association BRAZIL Congress 2024 on the sidelines of the G20 is the beginning of our journey here in Brazil where we hope to work with all key stakeholders of the Brazilian biogas market to create a National Biogas Roadmap that builds on our #MakingBiogasHappen programme and sets out the key steps necessary to dramatically accelerate the deployment of biogas in the country .” she stated.
Local, regional, and international authorities contributed to the discussions, including representatives from organisations such as the Brazilian Biogas Association – ABiogás, the International Renewable Energy and Biogas Center (CIBiogás), the Government of the State of Paraná, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), the Biogas Women’s Network (Mulheres do Biogas), the Biofuture Campaign, the UK Department for Business and Trade, the Energy Research Company (EPE), as well as international institutions such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (UNEP) and leading industry figures including Paolo Frankl, Head of the Renewable Energy Division at the International Energy Agency (IEA), and Luis Zavaleta, Director of Environmental Sustainability and Compliance at PepsiCo, Latin America.
The event was preceded on 30 September by a technical visit to the Itaipu Biomethane Unit and the Renewable Hydrocarbon Production Unit at the Itaipu Binational facilities, where visitors learnt about the history of biogas in the region, as well as the commitment to the development of advanced technologies in the biogas and biomethane sectors. Itaipu Binational’s general director, Enio Verri, made it clear that biogas is seen “as a great, fundamental tool in the energy transition, especially in times of climate crisis.”
Topics discussed in the plenary sessions of the Congress included logistics and industrial decarbonisation, waste management, and the financing for biomethane projects. The presence of global leaders bore testimony to the opportunities that biogas offers as a key solution for achieving emission reduction targets and energy security, in line with Brazil’s commitments to the Global Methane Pledge.
“We are experiencing a very important moment for biogas and biomethane in Brazil, with the growing number of plants, projects, and an increasingly favorable regulatory environment” said Rafael González, CEO of CIBiogás. “The WBA event, held here in Brazil, enables us to qualify, position, and bring the Brazilian biogas industry closer to the international stage.”
Strategic partnerships and next steps
The World Biogas Association Congress Series was launched by WBA in New Delhi, India in November 2023, with the support of the Indian Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas and New and Renewable Energy. The series aims to facilitate the scaling up of key emerging biogas markets, identifying the main barriers to growth and ensuring access to lessons learnt from mature biogas markets.
The Congress in Brazil served as a means to strengthen collaboration between the country and other biogas markets, such as India. Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to a just energy transition, strengthening ties in the promotion of biogas and the bioeconomy.
“With this BRAZIL Congress, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the biogas sector within the global energy dialogue and discuss the roadmap for the Brazilian biogas sector ahead of COP30,” said Pradeep Monga, WBA’s Policy Director. “We are working to ensure its implementation, bringing new financing opportunities, new technologies, and best practices so that biogas can grow stronger and more rapidly.”
Following the success of the Congress in Brazil, the next event in the series will take place in New Delhi, India, on 23-24 October 2024.
“It was a unique opportunity to exchange experiences and connect emerging and mature markets,” said Evandro Gussi, CEO of UNICA, during his participation in one of the panels. The event’s success and stakeholder engagement confirm the central role of biogas in Brazil’s energy future. The discussions and outcomes from this Congress open new opportunities for initiatives and policies that are expected to accelerate the sector’s development in the country.
