Title: Climate impact assessment of a pig manure storage system substituted with anaerobic digestion - a case study in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Authors: Reginaldo Geremias; Åke Nordberg

Addresses: Department of Energy and Sustainability, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Jardim das Avenidas Campus, 88906-072, Araranguá, Santa Catarina State, Brazil ' Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Ulls hus, Almas allé 8, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

Abstract: Brazil currently holds the fourth-place on pig meat production as well as in exports. The major pig industries are located in the state of Santa Catarina. The most common pig manure management in the state is the open tank storage with subsequent crop application of the manure. This study aimed to assess and compare the climate impact when substituting current management (reference scenario) with an anaerobic digestion scenario for energy and biofertilisation purposes at a small piglet production farm in Santa Catarina State. It was conducted as a consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) focused on greenhouse gas emissions (methane, nitrous oxide and fossil carbon dioxide). The emissions, in each one of the studied scenarios, were dominated by methane from manure storage and direct carbon dioxide from managed soil. The anaerobic digestion scenario showed considerable reduction of the global warming potential (81%) compared to the reference scenario. The electricity and heat production in the anaerobic digestion scenario contributed to the reduction of total greenhouse gas emissions and supplied farm electricity and heat demands. The sensitivity analysis showed that parameters and emission factors for greenhouse gas emissions are important to consider in the assessment of environmental performance of manure management.

Keywords: pig manure management; greenhouse gas emissions; life cycle assessment; LCA; anaerobic digestion; bioenergy; Brazil.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2020.114141

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2020 Vol.23 No.5/6, pp.414 - 433

Accepted: 14 Dec 2020
Published online: 09 Apr 2021 *

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