Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply - Embrapa

Agroenergy Production Chains
The agroenergy chains discussed in this annex can be divided into four
main groups: a) ethanol and the cogeneration of energy from sugarcane; b)
biodiesel from animal and plant lipids (); c) forest biomass and its residues;
and d) agricultural and agro-industrial wastes. Energy forests produce several
forms of energy, such as firewood, charcoal, briquettes, fines (small-diameter
charcoal fragments), and black liquor. Biogas results from the anaerobic
digestion of organic matter. Biodiesel can be obtained from plant oils, animal
fats or agro-industrial residues. Although ethyl alcohol can be obtained from
other sources, the competitiveness of sugarcane ethanol is unbeatable. And
agricultural and agro-industrial residues, as well as the wastes from those
processes, can be converted into different secondary forms of energy, such
as briquettes, biogas, biodiesel, etc. (Figure 7).
The RD&I program will focus on the development of raw material
technology and on process development or improvement (Figure 8). In either
case, a clear vision of the final agroenergy form (heat, biofuel or electric power)
is necessary to ensure raw material productivity or process competitiveness.
Figure 7. Agroenergy production matrix.
64