São Paulo – The Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea) disclosed on Thursday (1st), in Brasília, a press statement showing that biodiesel needs more government incentives and that its productive chain needs to promote social inclusion. Study “Biodiesel in Brazil: challenges of public policies for greater production”, says that the sector needs to reduce dependence on soy, an oleaginous plant that is currently the main raw material for production of the fuel.
Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, Goiás and Mato Grosso concentrated 82.5% of biodiesel production biodiesel between 2008 and 2011. Out of these four states, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás and Mato Grosso answered to 53% of production of soy. From 2008 to 2011, Rio Grande do Sul was the main producer of biodiesel in the country: 2.03 billion litres. It was followed by Mato Grosso (1.5 billion litres), Goiás (1.3 billion litres) and São Paulo, which produced 975 million litres.
Soy answers to 80% of the biodiesel produced in the country. “The oleaginous has high homogeneity, a very relevant factor, but has low oil productivity (only 19% of the total mass), as well as favouring regional distribution and presenting low social inclusion, providing few work posts with biodiesel”, says the document.
According to the study, other oleaginous plants may be used in the production of fuel. This is the case with sunflower, canola, nettlespurge, castor seed and crambe. These, however, still depend on research to have their viability confirmed. The study shows that the main competitor of soy as raw material for biodiesel is dendê oil. This source may reduce the dependence on soy and create jobs. However, it can only be an alternative to soy in the medium term.
In the document, the Ipea recalls that addition of 5% biodiesel to common diesel was forecasted for 2013. However, it was anticipated to 2010. With this, pressure is on to increase the mixture of biodiesel to 7%, 10% and reach 20% in coming years.
According to the study, anticipation of the mix from 2013 to 2010 “[further] sped up the call for a larger percentage of biofuel mixed in, mainly as a way to reduce the spare capacity of industrial complexes.” Still according to the Ipea, producers could offer 50% more biodiesel than what is currently supplied.
The study also shows that it is necessary to increase the mix of biodiesel in common diesel as this may address a social demand, namely, the use of less polluting fuels, and greater social inclusion. This, however, should only have been done when research on the raw materials was more advanced and when the oleaginous plants from the North and Northeast could be used in greater scale. These regions, according to the document, could be the most benefited by the social inclusion biodiesel may bring.
*Translated by Mark Ament
