Biogas Potential from Slums as a Sustainable and Resilient Route for Renewable Energy Diffusion in Urban Areas and Organic Waste Management in Vulnerable Communities in São Paulo

Camila Agner D’Aquino, Bruno Alves Pereira, Tulio Ferreira Sawatani, Samantha Coelho de Moura, Alice Tagima, Júlia Carolina Bevervanso Borba Ferrarese, Samantha Christine Santos and Ildo Luis Sauer
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Camila Agner D’Aquino: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil
Bruno Alves Pereira: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil
Tulio Ferreira Sawatani: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil
Samantha Coelho de Moura: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil
Alice Tagima: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil
Júlia Carolina Bevervanso Borba Ferrarese: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil
Samantha Christine Santos: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil
Ildo Luis Sauer: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, 1289 Professor Luciano Gualberto Ave., Cidade Universitária, Butantã 05508-010, SP, Brazil

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: Slums are populated poor areas inside urban centers, mostly deprived of good-quality public services and exposed to inappropriate waste disposal and energy poverty. Using the organic fraction waste from these communities to generate high value-added products, including electricity, heat, and fertilizer, provides a circular bioeconomy with mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing environmental pollution and diseases. The present study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of producing bioelectricity from the biogas obtained through the anaerobic digestion of the 400,000 tons of food waste generated in São Paulo’s slums, the largest city in Latin America. The biogas potential was calculated using results obtained from previous studies, expanded to the slums, mapped, and discussed the environmental impact of waste mismanagement and the renewable energy source (RES) integration into the local energy system. The results show a bioelectricity potential of up to 147,734 MWh/y, representing 1.3% of the residential electricity demand with an associated potential reduction of 2111.7 CO 2 eq Gg/y.

Keywords: renewable energy source; biogas; urban waste; bioelectricity; waste-to-energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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