Energia Pecém, in partnership with the State University of Ceará (UECE) and with technical support from the Institute for Development, Strategy and Knowledge (IDESCO), inaugurated this Wednesday (July 30), the BioEnergy Space and the pilot plant of the PDI project for the production of biochar (biochar) from the peel of the green coconut, with subsequent application in blends with mineral charcoal in industrial boilers. The event was held at the LAIS Laboratory, on the Itaperi Campus, and was attended by the vice-rector of UECE, Dárcio Ítalo Alves Teixeira, representatives of the State Government and partner companies.

The project is part of Energia Pecém's strategic energy transition agenda, seeking solutions that combine thermal performance, operational viability and reduction of carbon emissions. R$ 2.7 million will be invested in the project, which is funded by the National Electric Energy Agency's (ANEEL) PDI program and will last 24 months (ending in Dec/2026). “The production of biochar from coconut biomass is a solution that connects innovation, sustainability and energy efficiency. By integrating regional waste into the thermal process at the Pecém power plant, we are building a low-carbon technological route with the potential for immediate industrial application,” says Pedro Litsek, president of Diamante Energia.

In an unprecedented way, the partnership involves the university and about 37 scholars, including doctoral professors, specialists and scholarship students in areas such as Engineering, Physics and Chemistry. “It involves the formation of qualified human resources specialized in solving issues related to the use of biomass waste in the state and the generation of low carbon energy. A unique initiative within a public university in the state of Ceará”, highlights Professor Mona Lisa Moura, coordinator of the Energy Conversion Laboratory located in the LAIS environment and general coordinator of the PDI hybrid coal project at UECE.

The higher the percentage of biochar - from renewable sources such as green coconut skin - the greater the potential for reducing emissions, since part of the carbon emitted is of biogenic origin and, therefore, climate neutral. The definition of the ideal composition, capable of maximizing the reduction of emissions without compromising energy performance in UTE Energia Pecém boilers, will be one of the main results expected at the end of the research carried out in partnership with UECE

Another positive impact of the project is the use of coconut waste, reducing the inappropriate disposal of the material, since 8.5 kg of fresh coconut are needed to produce one kilo of biochar. Coconut is an abundant waste product on the coast of Ceará. The industrial region of Pecém and its surroundings have a large availability of green coconut shells, generated by businesses, coconut water factories and urban centers. According to a study by UEcee researchers, the municipalities of Paraipaba (31%), Acaraú (22%) and Trairi (16%) are the largest producers in the State. This mapping reinforces the logistical viability of the initiative. The Pilot Pyrolysis and Biomass Roasting Unit (UPTB) was set up at the BioEnergy Space, which will be used to process large volumes of coconut shells and to evaluate critical operating parameters: temperature, residence time, grain size, yield and quality of the biochar produced. The investment in the technical warehouse will allow the start of continuous operation with real biomass (coconut shell).

Watch the project video

About the project

The hybrid coal project is executed with resources from the Research & Development program regulated by ANEEL. It has the technical coordination of Energia Pecém, academic execution from the State University of Ceará and technical support from IDESCO. The initiative aligns with the company's environmental commitments, focusing on energy transition, applied innovation, and regional development.

What is hybrid charcoal?
It is a technically controlled blend of two types of charcoal: charcoal, produced from the slow pyrolysis of the green coconut shell and, in the future, also from sludge from effluent treatment plants (ETE), and mineral charcoal, of fossil origin, widely used in thermoelectric power plants. The mixing process makes it possible to obtain a product with optimized physico-chemical properties to improve thermal performance and reduce the carbon footprint in boilers such as Energia Pecém.

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