Image: Pixabay
Entities in the biofuels segment were unanimous in stating this Thursday (30), in the Chamber of Deputies, that Brazil should take advantage of the rise in gasoline and diesel prices to invest in its own potential for generating fuels from renewable sources. , such as soybeans and corn. They defended the approval by the House of the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) 15/22.
“We currently have the industrial capacity to produce 13 billion liters of biodiesel per year, but this year, we should produce around 6 billion liters. In other words, the industry is idle”, stated the superintendent director of the Brazilian Union of Biodiesel and Biokerosene (Ubrabio), Donizete Tokarski.
According to Tokarski, who participated in a debate in the Chamber's special committee that analyzes the PEC, the production sector has invested more than R$ 10 billion in recent years, counting on an increase in the percentage of biodiesel added to regular diesel. “The share of biodiesel is lower than 10%, that is, it is compatible to immediately increase this proportion”, he defended.
PEC 15/22, already approved by the Senate, does not change the proportion of the mixture, but ensures, for the next 20 years, economic advantages for the production of biofuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel, green diesel, biokerosene and biomethane.
According to the text, the National Congress must approve a complementary law in order to guarantee more advantageous tax rates for biofuels than those applied to fossil fuels.
Representative Danilo Forte (União-CE), who proposed the debate and is the PEC's rapporteur, agrees with the idea that the current fuel crisis should be seen as an opportunity. “We have the chance to show the world that we are capable of building alternatives,” he said.
The special commission is chaired by deputy Celina Leão (PP-DF).
Chief economist of the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove), Daniel Amaral commented on the potential of biodiesel in generating economic, environmental and social benefits for the country. “Brazil has a high quality national product: renewable, sustainable and clean ”, he declared.
According to him, a greater stimulus to biodiesel production can boost the animal protein industry, reduce polluting gas emissions and benefit family farmers with jobs and income.
Representing the National Confederation of Rural Workers, Farmers and Family Farmers (Contag), Eugênio Zanetti took advantage of the meeting to defend the maintenance of the Social Biofuel Seal program, which guarantees biodiesel producers who buy raw materials from family farmers PIS/Pasep rates and Differentiated cofins.
{module Form RD}
“Soy is always associated with large properties, but family farming here in Rio Grande do Sul has produced a lot of soy that has been converted into biodiesel. Farmers, with the adoption of the seal, are achieving an important increase in family income”, he said.
President of the National Corn Ethanol Union (Unem), Guilherme Nolasco highlighted that, from 1 ton of corn, it is possible to produce 430 liters of ethanol, 360 kg of corn bran and, to a lesser extent, corn oil. “It is an entire circular economy of job and income generation, taxes and internalization of wealth that has been generated”, he declared.
The Secretary of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Rafael Bastos da Silva, stated that the practical result of the approval of the Biofuels PEC would be an increase in the current price of gasoline, with a reduction in ethanol prices.
“PEC 15 guarantees the competitive advantage of ethanol and this prevents the federal tax on gasoline from being zeroed, as is currently the case. This causes an increase in gasoline prices and a reduction in the price of ethanol,” he said. With information from Agência Câmara de Notícias.
Per: CROP&MARKET
