Largest biogas project in Latin America
14 DECEMBER 2018
Scania in Brazil has joined forces with Sabesp, one of the world’s largest water and sewage companies, to demonstrate the potential for using biogas in operating heavy vehicles.
Since spring 2018, the company, which supplies 28 million people with water, has been using biogas generated from its sewage treatment plant to power Sabesp’s vehicles in the city of Franca, 400 kilometres north of São Paulo. The Franca treatment plant presently treats an average of 500 litres per second and produces around 2,500 Nm³ of biogas per day, enough to each day replace 1,500 litres of diesel. This is currently the largest project in Latin America in producing biogas from sewage treatment for vehicles.
Sabesp will now operate a Scania 130-seat K 280 hp gas bus in the city. The aim is highlight biogas as an environmental and economically sustainable fuel, with great potential for Brazil. “Starting this operation opens new business opportunities for Sabesp in view of the potential to scale-up biogas production from sewage treatment,” says Edison Airoldi, Sabesp’s Director of Technology, Enterprise and Environment.
