INCOBRA - Increasing International Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation between Brazil and the European Union

Government representatives and researchers will meet in Florianópolis (SC) from 11 to 13 July for the First RBiocomb Workshop, the biofuels network from the Brazilian System of Technology (Sibratec). The objective of the event is to identify innovation and business opportunities in the area and discuss the impacts of the new Biofuel law, sanctioned in March.

Registration is free and is current open at  www.rbiocomb.com.br. The event is promoted by the Secretary of Technology and Innovation Development from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communication (MCTIC) and by the National Institute of Technology (INT).

The new Biodiesel Law stablishes a percentage raise of fuel addition to fossil diesel used in motor vehicles. The current rate of 7% of fuel mixture will be increased to 8% in 2017 and up one point percentage each year until reaching 10% in 2019. The law also foresees that this percentage increase could reach 15% through the conduction of tests.

The RBiocomb coordinator, Eduardo Cavalcanti, lists the advantages of biodiesel, such as lower emissions of greenhouse gases, its full production in Brazil and the use of soybean and animal fat sub products. For him, the law opens up new business opportunities.

"The law 13.263 defines a future platform for the biodiesel market. Producers know they will have to be prepared to offer a higher percentage, so they will need to invest in technology and innovation, which also involves laboratories and distributors," he says.

The Brazilian Technology System (Sibratec) is a programme to support research and development activities in line with the priorities of industrial, technological and foreign trade policies. The goal is to increase innovation and productivity of domestic companies. RBiocomb is part of Sibratec Technology Services and supports the productive sector and biofuels users such as ethanol and biodiesel. The organization promotes quality assurance mechanisms and metrological reliability and certification of products to overcome technological barriers and improve the competitiveness of manufacturers and consumers of these fuels.

Federal investments

The coordinator of the Energy Development Actions from MCTIC, Rafael Menezes, underline that this mechanism had an important role to the development of biodiesel matrix in Brazil. "11 years ago we did not have qualified laboratories or an established research network for this specific area. Today we enable and certify the laboratories, we released several public calls in order to solve the industry's leading technological challenges and invest about R$ 200 million in specific projects from the whole biodiesel production chain" he says.

(Agência Gestão CT&I, com informações do MCTIC)