Argentina seeks to generate energy from agro products

The government of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s most populous province, has come up with a plan to boost bio-economic ventures.

 

The province that accounts for 45 percent of the country’s corn and soybeans and 40 percent of its livestock, plans to boost its energy generation capacity through these bio-economic initiatives. Products coming from the countryside will play a major role in this plan.

 

The ‘Bio-economics Plan’ was presented to the Ministry of Agroindustry in Buenos Aires in the presence of representatives of many production houses and agriculture and livestock related industries.

 

"Maize silage, feedlot, sunflower and sorghum residues are products that have the greatest potential to be converted into biomass to generate energy," the Minister of Agroindustry of Buenos Aires said.

 

According to the official, the government’s objective was to encourage investment in power plants that generate electricity from these products and industrial waste.

 

In addition, it will help in the production of functional foods and biomaterials; boost soil and water bioenergy; and develop the genetic industry.

 

The first step will be to map the bio-economy of the province of Buenos Aires and then identify six bioenergy basins. 

 

"We know that in the north-east of Buenos Aires, corn production was predominant. So, we will push for projects that generate energy or produce other materials from the derivatives of that cereal," he said.

 

One of the prototypes underway is for the production of synthesis gas (synthetic gas made from crop residues or wood chips). Yesterday, the Ministry of Agroindustry of Buenos Aires signed an agreement with a company, Gitec, to present a demonstration module for biomass generation.

 

Entities in the private sector have also expressed their support for the initiative. The executive director of Maizar, the association that brings together and represents producers of maize, stressed developed countries were already producing bioenergy. "In Germany 15 percent of the energy is generated through renewable sources and biogas is one of the most important domains. One million hectares of maize crop is set aside just for this purpose," he said.