Avaliação do ciclo de vida da casca de arroz para geração de eletricidade

Abstract

With a vast production of rice in the spotlight, Brazil consequently generates a large amount of by-products of this cereal, during the rice beneficiation process. Currently the state of Rio Grande do Sul produces approximately 8.5 million tons of rice, consequently generating 1.7 million tons of rice husk. The use of agricultural solid waste such as rice husk, sugarcane bagasse, and others, has been used as an alternative energy source in the generation of electricity. This paper presents an investigative proposal to calculate the emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), emitted by the burning of rice husks, used in the thermoelectric Sepé Geração de Energia, and compare with the gases emitted by rice husk, considering its disposal and decomposition in the environment. The methodology used was the life cycle assessment (LCA), defined by ISO 14040, divided into four phases: definition of the objective and scope of the study, inventory analysis, impact assessment and data interpretation. The application of this methodology made it possible to identify and quantify the environmental impacts of each of the rice husk destinations, making it possible to compare GHG emissions between the two destinations given to this rice by-product.