Coppe student develops platform to optimize biomethane production and CO₂ capture in Brazil

A platform developed as part of the Energy Planning Program (PPE) at Coppe/UFRJ was recognized at the 2026 Global Energy Summit, winning the Decarbonization category and, in the competition among entries from the event’s five categories, the overall award. The project, developed by student Matheus Poggio under the guidance of professors Alexandre Szklo and Pedro Rochedo, integrates, into a single mathematical model, information to determine where to produce biomethane, how to transport it, and how to generate carbon credits.

Named Grid Routing Optimization of Biomethane Transport and CO₂ (Groot), the tool utilizes waste products already available on a large scale in the sugar and ethanol industry, such as vinasse and filter cake. Through anaerobic digestion, these materials can be converted into biogas and, after purification, into biomethane. The process also allows for the separation and capture of CO₂, which can be sent for geological storage and used to generate carbon credits.

“Biogas is composed primarily of biomethane and other gases, including CO₂. During the purification process, the biomethane is separated, and the CO₂ can be captured and stored underground (BECCS), generating carbon credits. It’s a way to make use of different products from the same supply chain,” explains Matheus.

To test the platform, the researcher used data from the state of São Paulo, which accounts for a large portion of ethanol production and natural gas demand. “I used the database from the Energy Research Company (EPE), whose Webmaps show the locations of all ethanol production plants, including latitude, longitude, and production levels. With these three elements, Groot can run scenarios for any location in the country,” explains Matheus.

One of Groot’s unique features is its integration of energy, waste management, and carbon capture into analysis. The platform allows users to stimulate different scenarios and evaluate investments, transportation costs, and revenues associated with biomethane production and sale of carbon credits.

In the scenarios analyzed for São Paulo, covering the period from 2030 to 2060, CO₂ capture from alcoholic fermentation increased the net present value of the projects by up to 4.5 times. The tool was also able to process scenarios involving more than 100 plants in less than 45 seconds.

 With an interface developed in Python, Groot generates georeferenced maps, dashboards, investments timelines, and information on costs and revenues. The goal is to make it easier for professionals who do not necessarily have programming or thermofluid knowledge to use the results. 

The results generated by Groot provide input for calibrating targets for programs such as RenovaBio and designing biomethane auctions in Brazil. For Poggio, the tool can be particularly useful in public policy planning. “Governments–whether federal or state–can develop plans to expand the use of biomethane and incorporate it into strategies for carbon capture via BECCS and generating carbon credits,” he says.

This work can contribute to planning the expansion of biomethane in the country and to programs related to energy, the circular economy, and decarbonization by considering the use of agro-industrial waste as part of an integrated chain of energy production and carbon removal. Thus, the management of this waste can become an opportunity to expand renewable energy production and contribute to Brazil’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality.