You are about to leave yara.com and enter: A purified biogas made from sugarcane waste biomethane can seamlessly replace fossil natural gas reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%. Decarbonizing food and industrial value chains This achievement demonstrates Yara’s commitment to decarbonizing the food and industrial value chains as the company progresses toward carbon neutrality by 2050. "This is a significant step in building renewable-based value chains across sectors and industries from food and mining to on-and off-shore transport,” says Marcelo Altieri “For agribusiness the impact is huge By integrating this new generation of lower carbon fertilizers into our agronomic expertise we offer farmers greater value while unlocking new markets and revenue streams we anticipate a reduction of up to 40% in the carbon footprint of harvested beans,” he adds Sao Paolo: Leading Brazil’s energy transition Yara’s Industrial Complex in Cubatão the largest consumer of natural gas in São Paulo and Brazil’s leading ammonia producer is now fully equipped to operate with biomethane. “Cubatão is now positioned to lead Brazil’s energy transition,” says Daniel Hubner Senior Vice President at Yara Industrial Solutions Brazil can transform its vast organic waste into a valuable resource and sustainable energy model.” Hubner also highlights the importance of collaboration: “Brazil has the potential to be a global leader and foster public-private partnership to make these innovations accessible and impactful.” Yara plans to expand its portfolio to include products utilizing carbon capture and storage (CCS) This initiative underscores Yara’s leadership in driving industrial decarbonization and supporting sustainable growth in Brazil and on the global stage. As the company approaches its 120th anniversary next year its enduring mission to feed the world and protect the planet continues to guide its strategy and innovations. Yara's mission is to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet We pursue a strategy of sustainable value growth through reducing emissions from crop nutrition production and developing low-emission energy solutions Yara’s ambition is focused on growing a nature-positive food future that creates value for our customers shareholders and society at large and delivers a more sustainable food value chain. To drive the green shift in fertilizer production Yara will produce ammonia with significantly lower emissions We provide digital tools for precision farming and work closely with partners at all levels of the food value chain to share knowledge and promote more efficient and sustainable solutions. Founded in 1905 to solve the emerging famine in Europe Yara has established a unique position as the industry’s only global crop nutrition company With 18,000 employees and operations in more than 60 countries sustainability is an integral part of our business model Yara reported revenues of USD 15.5 billion. Sigurd E. Jørgensen                                                                                           Yara Industrial Solutions                                           E-mail: sigurd.engevik.jorgensen@yara.com                           Mobile: + 47 977 06 434 Yara International ASADrammensveien 131 0277 Oslo - NorwayTel:+47 24 15 70 00Visit our Contact us page Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Paul Simao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved During a field trip in May 2023 to the Cubatão mangroves in the Brazilian state of São Paulo a cluster of white flowers puzzled biologists Geraldo Eysink and Edmar Hatamura They bloomed from trees unlike any they had ever seen in the area in 30 years of research and with the expertise of oceanographer and mangrove specialist Yara Schaeffer-Novelli identified the plant as Sonneratia apetala It was the first time this species had been recorded anywhere in the Americas The significance of the discovery quickly became clear apetala was an invasive species with the potential to wreak havoc on this ecosystem Eysink and Hatamura found 80 more of these trees with new specimens emerging each time they explore the mangroves “Mangroves are nurseries for many species of fish it could harm the reproduction of all this fauna and the lives of more than 400,000 fisher-people along the Brazilian coast,” Eysink told Mongabay apetala was introduced to China in 1985 for mangrove restoration Researchers believe it reached Brazil through ballast water from ships traveling from China to Santos Port just 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the mangroves releasing foreign organisms into the surrounding ecosystem It’s thought that the released ballast water carried the buoyant S apetala seeds to the mangroves via estuary currents A single tree can bear more than 2,000 apple-like fruits In a preliminary germination test conducted in a greenhouse the survival rate of these seeds was found to be 14.7% It’s frightening — this seed is a monster,” Schaffer-Novelli said Fisheries and Conservation Department regularly removes S apetala to protect native mangroves and maintain mudflats for waterbirds these trees are four times taller than native species reaching heights of up to 12 meters (39 feet) and experts warn their presence will cause serious environmental damage “Exotic species in mangroves can have profound ecological and economic impacts, disrupting the restoration of native ecosystems,” according to a 2023 study authored by Eysink apetala in the Cubatão region’s mangroves could significantly alter the biological structure of these ecosystems and serve as a dispersal point for other areas.” The Cubatão mangrove is part of a 12,000-hectare (29,650-acre) expanse of mangroves in São Paulo’s Baixada Santista region, an area long affected by uncontrolled urban sprawl. In the 1970s Cubatão was notorious as one of the most polluted marshes in the world Eysink and a team of biologists from the state’s environmental agency successfully restoring 1,200 hectares (2,965 acres) as the species could displace native plants The researchers warned environmental authorities who recommended the “urgent eradication of this species,” Eysink said Hong Kong has been trying to remove this species for the last eight years without success More than a year after the first official recognition of the species in Brazil the state’s Forestry Foundation announced in a statement released in August that having assessed the scale of the problem alongside IBAMA and local researchers they had contracted a company to remove the trees between August and November The methods that will be used to remove the trees were not specified IBAMA must authorize the removal of any trees in the region They did not respond to Mongabay’s request for clarification on the removal of this species or if the removal process had started failing to acknowledge the evidence of their discovery in May last year apetala is not removed quickly and completely it could spread up the São Paulo coast and possibly beyond “[The seeds] keep spreading,” Schaffer-Novelli said “The worst-case scenario is they go to Cananéia a nearby mangrove and an estuary [in the state of São Paulo] recognized by UNESCO,” adding that the researchers are in contact with other scientists in the region warning them to keep an eye out for unusual trees with white flowers While experts stress that eradicating the species is the best bet for protecting the Cubatão mangroves against major losses in biodiversity finding the most effective removal method is a challenge Researchers in Brazil have carried out several tests on possible methodologies which were discussed with experts in China They found that simply cutting down the trees was ineffective which involves stripping the bark to stop nutrient flow Another method is covering the cut stump with mud to prevent shoots from growing the most effective method has been with chemicals the use of chemicals is always questionable especially if these products reach the water,” Eysink said “[But] the results and efficiency of this method are greater than the impact of any drops of this product on the environment; a paradigm that needs to be accepted by environmental agencies.” the researchers drilled the trunk of the species injected it with the chemical and then sealed the holes because the holes were made above the high tide line Researchers in Hong Kong have found similar results. According to a 2009 study the most effective method involved cutting and covering stumps with mud to prevent regrowth and although they found the herbicide glyphosate also to be effective “The application of herbicide should be avoided due to its uncertain impact to the native flora and fauna.” Despite the researchers’ recommendations for using chemicals the environmental agencies did not approve them Eysink said that he and other researchers are exploring alternatives with IBAMA including the use of specific herbicides as long as they don’t harm other species But experts lament the delay and call for prompt action emphasizing the need for immediate monitoring of mangroves and the swift eradication of invasive species as soon as they are identified “It would be a shame and a disgrace if we did not carry out this total eradication in Cubatão [it] would become the supplier of new seeds putting mangroves throughout Brazil at risk,” Eysink said The researchers also advocate for improved ways of emptying ballast water as it can carry other harmful species such as mollusks and fish that may threaten Brazilian mangroves They recommend an urgent inspection of other ports in Brazil to determine if similar issues are occurring the presence of invasive species poses an immediate danger to Brazil’s vulnerable mangroves the change and impoverishment of our biodiversity will be fatal.” Teng, Z., & Lin, X. (2024). Sediment nitrates reduction processes affected by non-native Sonneratia apetala plantation in South China. Science of The Total Environment, 906, 167523. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167523 Hu, Z., Wu, J., Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Zhou, H., Gao, C., … Wu, G. (2023). How exotic Sonneratia species affect the spatiotemporal dynamics of mangroves in Shenzhen Bay, China: A remote sensing perspective. Ecological Indicators, 153, 110479. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110479 Eysink, G. G., Hatamura, E., & Schaffer-Novelli, Y. (2023). First occurrence in mangroves of South America of the exotic species Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham. from the Indo-Malayan region. Biota Neotropica, 23(4). doi:10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2023-1575 Schmiegelow, J. M., & Gianesella, S. M. (2014). Absence of zonation in a mangrove forest in southeastern Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Oceanography, 62(2), 117-131. doi:10.1590/s1679-87592014058806202 Banner image: The Cubatão mangrove is part of a 12,000-hectare (29,653-acre) expanse of mangroves in São Paulo’s Baixada Santista region an area that has been severely impacted by urban expansion and pollution for decades FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] Glow Up For Mother's Day: 15 Beauty Gifts She Will Adore Best Mother’s Day Flower Delivery Services Help Control Symptoms With These Air Purifiers for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview, 2017-2022, commissioned by The Weather Company. but it turned things around.","thumbnailUrl":["https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1920x1080/p04w6mjs.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1232x1232/p04w6mjs.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/688xn/p04w6mjs.jpg","https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/400xn/p04w6mjs.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2017-03-09T00:54:29.000Z","duration":"PT2M1S","embedUrl":"https://www.bbc.com/news/av-embeds/39186018"}How Brazil's 'Valley of Death' drastically cut pollutionThis video can not be played CloseCubatao in Brazil was notorious for lethally high levels of air pollution which led to malformations in newborn babies and widespread health problems the city known as the "Valley of Death" had fought back Cubatao is still among the most polluted cities in the region and must work hard to maintain cleaner air A week of coverage by BBC News examining possible solutions to the problems caused by air pollution Five ways to avoid air pollution Gasping in the French Alps Can trees cut pollution? About the So I Can Breathe season See more from So I Can Breathe Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreHow Brazil's 'Valley of Death' fought back 00:02:01How Brazil's 'Valley of Death' fought back 2:01 Up Next 1:37 Air pollution trackers put to the test 00:06:57Air pollution trackers put to the test 6:57 Can you make your day less polluted 00:01:45Can you make your day less polluted 1:45 Five ways to avoid air pollution 1:48Editor's recommendations Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster Video 00:01:21Watch: How Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert almost ended in disaster 1:21 'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 00:01:20'Trump was the game-changer': Three things to know about the Australian election result 1:20 Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 00:02:54Prince Harry 'can't see a world' where his family will visit the UK 2:54 Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 00:01:32Watch: Key moments from the local elections.. 1:32 Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 00:01:11Watch: Reform by-election win raises questions for Labour and Tories 1:11 Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 00:00:50Russell Brand's court appearance explained.. 0:50 Ros Atkins on.. What's in the US-Ukraine resources deal 1:23 Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 00:01:18Kamala Harris hits out at Trump in first major speech since losing election 1:18 Watch: Moment Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi is released 00:00:46Watch: Moment Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi is released 0:46 Watch video shown to jurors in Sycamore Gap tree trial 00:01:17Watch video shown to jurors in Sycamore Gap tree trial 1:17 Israel continues to battle raging wildfires 00:00:53Israel continues to battle raging wildfires The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission Science of the Total EnvironmentCitation Excerpt :Although few studies are available that show how pollution by PAHs affects tropical tree species this phenomenon is likely to be observed in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest This biome has been increasingly affected by fragmentation and probably by air pollutants due to increasing land occupation by large populations of humans (Domingos et al. The PAH accumulation in the foliage of native tree species in the remaining portions of the Semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest has likely occurred in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas (MRC) in the central-eastern region of São Paulo State (SE - Brazil) because these forest remnants are surrounded by various emission sources of particulate matter containing PAHs agrochemical and chemical industries and extensive agricultural lands All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. the Brazilian city of Cubatão has been a poster child for environmental responsibility The United Nations even designated it as a global example of environmental recovery a city of 130,000 inhabitants in the state of São Paulo was the scene of one of the worst environmental disasters in Brazilian history a favela of almost 6,000 residents just on the outskirts of the city burst and spilled 184,906 gallons (700,000 liters) of gasoline The spill ignited a fire that killed 99 people according to the official count—though inhabitants claim the real toll is higher since many bodies were burned beyond recognition Cubatão was considered one of the country’s most polluted cities The smoke spewing from Cubatão’s smokestacks at the time was so thick and the air so laden with particles that a walk across town seemed like a stroll through the dark gloom of Batman’s Gotham City Situated in a mountainous region with São Paulo on one side Cubatão was caught effectively in a sinkhole that trapped the massive pollution and blotted out the sky and sunlight for weeks in 1983 the state of São Paulo launched the Cubatão Pollution Control Program which set in motion strict controls on emitters of air But the fire in Vila Socó made Cubatão a national symbol of the price Brazilians have paid for their world-class industrial economy And it raises the question of whether companies in Brazil and elsewhere in the hemisphere have taken the lesson to heart… Americas Quarterly (AQ) is the premier publication on politics We are an independent publication of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas PUBLISHED BY AMERICAS SOCIETY/ COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS 43,000+ global companies doing business in the region. 102,000+ key contacts related to companies and projects Analysis, reports, news and interviews about your industry in English, Spanish and Portuguese. the Cubatão plant has consistently demonstrated a commitment to operational excellence It serves as a key supplier of carbon black for the local and regional markets offering customised carbon black solutions for tyres and various other specialised applications fulfilling its energy requirements through an in-house cogeneration unit that results in substantially lower carbon emissions To improve its energy conversion efficiency the plant invested in upgrading its cogeneration unit in 2019 improving boiler performance by 9.8% and a turbine performance by 14% in the year the Cubatão plant spearheaded a unique initiative known as the 'big bag recycling programme' encouraging customers to return their used bags Each of these large packaging bags can be reused at least six times before disposal presenting an excellent opportunity to reduce waste within the valuechain The plant also works with companies to clean and repair bags that have been returned damaged or containing leftover scrap material urging them to minimise damage when unloading the materials from the bag The initiative has yielded significant cost savings for the plant facilitating the recycling of close to 6,000 bags per month The plant has been actively involved in uplifting local communities through diverse education and healthcare initiatives Its volunteers engage with high school students to help improve their career prospects Students are also invited to visit the Cubatão plant to understand the carbon black manufacturing process first-hand the Cubatão plant has also come to be regarded as one of the safest units within Birla Carbon Stringent safety protocols are diligently enforced to ensure the well-being of both workers and contractors reflecting the plant's commitment to maintaining a safe environment Mail: sandeep.gurumurthi@adityabirla.com Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) has extinguished a fire that occurred on May 17 at its 170,000-b/d Refinaria Presidente Bernardes (RPBC) refinery in Cubatão RPBC’s on-site fire brigade team immediately isolated and controlled the fire which broke out following a diesel oil spill While the operator did not identify the specific unit impacted by the fire Petrobras did confirm no other refining units were damaged as a result of the incident nor were any injuries reported in the aftermath of the event With the incident now reported to all necessary environmental and regulatory agencies—and an investigation presumably to follow—Petrobras said there will be no interruption to production of petroleum products or risks to market supply in the fire’s wake Additional details regarding the incident were not disclosed Robert Brelsford joined Oil & Gas Journal in October 2013 as downstream technology editor after 8 years as a crude oil price and news reporter on spot crude transactions at the US Gulf Coast He holds a BA (2000) in English from Rice University and an MS (2003) in education and social policy from Northwestern University Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures How Tobacco Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on Cancer Could Trump’s Tariffs Replace Income Tax for the Bottom 90% Peter McColough Series on International Economics With Robert E Corruption probes that began in 2014 have reached the highest levels of the Brazilian government and corporate elite and dozens of cabinet officials and senators Operacao Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash) and overlapping investigations have led to prison sentences for top executives and politicians The scandals have complicated efforts to revive the economy amid its largest downturn in more than a century The country’s biggest corporations have faced numerous setbacks and the fallout from the scandals helped right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro sweep to victory in Brazil’s 2018 presidential election on a populist Millions of Brazilians have demonstrated in favor of the investigations and many hope that shedding light on the scandals will end the widespread corruption that has plagued their country Federal prosecutors led by Judge Sergio Moro launched Lava Jato in March 2014 after the Finance Ministry’s intelligence unit discovered unusual bank transactions involving the state-owned oil company Petrobras They suspected that Petrobras was accepting bribes from firms including the construction giant Odebrecht Executives from both Petrobras and Odebrecht including the latter’s former chief executive federal court ordered Odebrecht to pay $2.6 billion in fines to authorities in Brazil The company had previously admitted to paying out hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to officials in twelve countries Facing financial losses that stem in part from the probe the two companies have laid off more than one hundred thousand employees According to the public prosecutor’s office, by October 2018 Lava Jato had resulted in more than two hundred convictions for crimes including corruption abuse of the international financial system and money laundering. More than a dozen other corporations and multiple foreign leaders have also been implicated in Lava Jato including former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and former Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Operacao Carne Fraca (Operation Weak Flesh) was announced publicly in March 2017; it began as a result of Lava Jato and pursued allegations that employees of JBS and BRF the world’s largest beef and poultry exporters bribed food inspectors to approve the sale of spoiled products the European Union suspended its meat imports from Brazil (Some of the bans were lifted soon thereafter restrictions remain in place.) JBS’s heads made plea bargains with prosecutors and resigned from their positions in May; their testimonies spurred a probe into President Temer JBS’s controlling shareholder agreed that month to pay a record $3.16 billion fine after its executives admitted to bribing 1,829 politicians a total of nearly $600 million The Batistas were arrested in September on charges of lying to the prosecution and insider trading which is looking into bribes allegedly paid by companies including JBS and Ford’s Brazilian subsidiary to tax officials to reduce their corporate liabilities A summary of global news developments with CFR analysis delivered to your inbox each morning. Weekdays examining the debates and efforts to improve health worldwide. Weekly Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin has authorized prosecutors to open investigations into hundreds of individuals named in testimony by Odebrecht employees as part of their plea deals some seventy members of the National Congress The most prominent politicians among those investigated include: The federal prosecutor’s office has referred to Lula as the mastermind behind the entire corruption scheme targeted by Lava Jato and some officials from his administration are serving prison sentences for related crimes He is often described as a mentor to his successor who was his chief of staff from 2005 to 2010 President Rousseff was impeached and then removed from office in 2016 after being charged with manipulating the federal budget to conceal the size of the country’s deficit Prosecutors never brought charges related to the Petrobras scandal against Rousseff though she was the company’s chairwoman from 2003 to 2010 sought to annul Rousseff and Temer’s 2014 election victory over allegations of illegal campaign donations Michel Temer. Rousseff’s one-time running mate and vice president took office in August 2016 but he has since been charged with taking bribes JBS chair Joesley Batista handed over to investigators secretly recorded audio that purports to show Temer authorizing hush money for Eduardo Cunha a former speaker of Congress’s lower house Temer has denied the allegations against him Eduardo Cunha. Cunha was charged in October 2016 with accepting bribes worth $40 million and attempting to obstruct investigations into his activities he was sentenced to more than fifteen years in prison for corruption Cunha faces additional criminal charges as well Sergio Cabral. The former governor of Rio de Janeiro state was arrested in November 2016 on charges of accepting $64 million in bribes in exchange for construction contracts He was sentenced to fourteen years in prison in June 2017 Brazil’s economic troubles predate Lava Jato Initially thought to be a temporary downturn in the wake of playing host to the World Cup Brazil fell beginning in early 2014 into its worst recession in more than a century investment levels and consumer confidence suffered leading to a 3.9 percent drop in GDP in 2015 and another 3.6 percent decrease the following year In the first half of 2017, Brazil saw its first quarter-on-quarter growth in two years, at 1 percent. But after the Temer recording was released in May, Brazil’s currency, the real, plummeted 8 percent, and economists indicated that political turmoil would make it more likely that the country would sink back into recession Unemployment in Brazil hit a new high in March 2017 at 13.7 percent Brazilian legislation provides sitting cabinet members and other federal elected officials with special standing; they can only be tried by the STF. Cases against politicians move slowly through the single court, which has traditionally been deferential to politicians, leading to “practical immunity from prosecution,” writes Matthew M an expert on Latin American politics at American University In June 2017, the prosecutor-general charged the president with corruption for accepting a $152,000 bribe from Batista, and in September with obstruction of justice and racketeering. The charges failed to obtain the two-thirds approval required by Congress for it to move forward in the STF, and Temer survived an impeachment vote in August of that year at least eight cabinet ministers or top aides have stepped down since Temer took office due to the revelations from Lava Jato and other probes “His kitchen cabinet has been decimated,” says Taylor Several smaller political parties have withdrawn their support for the Temer administration. stating that “pardons are not and cannot become an instrument of impunity.” While his supporters believe such iron-fist policies will rein in corruption and crime many analysts fear the measures will backfire fueling violence against the state and causing Brazil’s prison population—already a leading source of gang recruitment—to balloon Brazil’s public prosecutor’s office lays out its findings from the Lava Jato probe Monica Arruda de Almeida and Bruce Zagaris lay out the costs [PDF] of the corruption probes for Petrobras Jonathan Watts examines the network of political and corporate racketeering uncovered by Lava Jato for the Guardian Jon Lee Anderson discusses the state of Brazil’s democracy in the New Yorker CFR’s Matthew M. Taylor discusses the likelihood that Temer will remain in office China’s Growing Influence in Latin America Mercosur: South America’s Fractious Trade Bloc World Press Freedom Continues Decline at a Time of Upheaval What’s the Deal with Trump’s Ukraine Mineral Agreement India and Pakistan: On the Brink of Conflict Over Kashmir The Presidente Bernardes Refinery (Refinaria Presidente Bernardes) in Cubatao Sulphur recuperation and residual gas treatment is one of the country's largest and is responsible for the production of a little over 12% of Brazil's fuel oils While the refinery has undergone numerous expansions and updates it is still one of the country's mainstays in fuel production and the industrial area in which it is situated is the largest centre for refining crude oil and producing chemicals in Brazil (45% of fuel comes from here) The last upgrade to the Presidente Bernardes refinery occurred in 1998 when a diesel hydrotreater unit was commissioned (so that the refinery could produce low-sulphur diesel oil – a major pollution bugbear in Brazil); this was built through a $270m investment (part of $1bn that Petrobras invested in low-sulphur technology across all of its facilities during the period 1998–2002) The diesel treatment unit started commercial production in January 1999 and had a processing capacity of 5,000m³ a day is the owner and operator of the Presidente Bernardes refinery Cubatao was known in the 1980s as one of the most polluted areas on earth but much work has been done by its industries to improve conditions In 2007 it was reported that Skanska had been contracted by Petrobras to work on an expansion and upgrade of the Presidente Bernardes refinery (situated 60km from San Paulo) The contract involves the construction of two new refinery units at the facility These are a sulphur recuperation unit and a residual gas treatment unit The investment into this technology totals $84m (Skanska share is 65% SKr380m) and will aid the refinery in continuing to develop high-grade clean fuels and to lower its effect on the surrounding environment Skanska will be partnered in the project by the Brazilian engineering company Engevix Engeharia Skanska is the senior partner and will be responsible for the management of the project commissioning / validation testing and start-up (a turnkey project) The project began in the third quarter of 2007 and is expected to take 29 months with start-up scheduled for late 2009 / early 2010 The projects at the refinery are to improve the quality of emissions from the refinery and also to improve the environmental quality of diesel fuel produced With reference to the environment and from an economic point of view Brazil has always been interested in the use of alcohol to substitute for conventional hydrocarbons in auto engines The 'pro-alcohol' scheme for light automotive engines has been underway since 1975 and has been a success The next pollution problem for Brazil was to be the diesel engine With this in mind and following major research the government decided to require that a proportion of ethanol (up to 15%) should be incorporated into diesel fuels (this is made difficult as emulsifiers are needed as well so the ethanol does not separate out in the fuel tank) Buses in the regional town of Curitiba now run on a mixture of 86% diesel 11% anhydrous alcohol and 2.6% AEP-102 additive (the additive prevents separation and also helps to increase the cetane number of the fuel so that its ignition characteristics are not compromised) A possible alternative in the future would be to switch a proportion of ethanol production to give butanol With Brazil taking atmospheric pollution much more seriously the Presidente Bernardes refinery was one of the first to embrace an environmental pointer for atmosphere emissions; this was the AEISOX (Atmospheric Emissions Index of SOx) Refineries are the main contributors of SOx emissions (the recently started Skanska project is part of the clean-up process) The refinery introduced the new AEISOX in an online plant information software interface that was accessible to the employees In this way the SOx emission of different areas of the refinery may be monitored online Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network The contract awarded to Thyssenkrupp also includes engineering equipment and consulting services during the construction and commissioning of the plant will replace the existing mercury and diaphragm plants in Cubatão with electrolysers using Thyssenkrupp Nucera's bipolar membrane technology The technological upgrade will ensure an annual chlorine production capacity of 210,000 t and reduce Unipar's annual CO2 emissions by 70,000 t Other benefits include reduced waste production and lower energy consumption “The modernization of our plant is a measure of enormous importance for us in strengthening our market position and energy savings due to the chlor-alkali technology used are of immense importance,” said Rodrigo Cannaval The Brazilian group already uses Thyssenkrupp's membrane technology at other plants in the country The facility at Cubatão is Unipar’s largest plant in terms of production Unipar claims to be the second largest PVC producer in South America after Braskem CHEManager Innovation Pitch supports innovation in the chemistry and life sciences start-up scene and start-ups to present their companies to the industry and strategic direction in an exclusive CHEManager International interview The Presidente Bernardes Refinery (Cubatão Town) will supply Diesel R5 to Brazil’s leading consumer market as of March After consolidating the sales of Diesel R5 at the Presidente Getúlio Vargas Refinery (Repar) in Paraná State Petrobras will start selling the product in the state of São Paulo in the first week of March The Presidente Bernardes Refinery (RPBC) in Cubatão can sell this fuel regularly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Petrobras has started selling renewable diesel in Sao Paulo Photo: Presidente Bernardes Refinery (RPBC) in Cubatão The sales of Diesel R5 at RPBC reinforce Petrobras’s strategy to produce greener fuels. 'The Diesel R5 supply by the RPBC demonstrates the progress of the company’s investments in decarbonization Petrobras has taken another step toward increasing the renewable diesel supply and catering to a market that seeks green solutions to cut down its emissions,' says Petrobras’s Sales According to Petrobras’s Industrial Process and Product Director William França the investments in low carbon demonstrate the company’s option for a fair energy transition: 'Petrobras has been meeting its efficiency and reliability targets; it is also dedicated to decarbonizing its products and processes We were the first company in Brazil to develop its own co-processing technology; we introduced renewable fuel in our units that don’t require engine adaptations or changes to be used.' Petrobras is a pioneer in developing renewable diesel generated by co-processing crude oil byproducts (mineral portion) with vegetable raw materials The reduction in emissions associated with the renewal portion is at least 60% compared to the mineral diesel. the Diesel R5 can be used without vehicle adaptations It is a highly stable and contaminant-free product which makes for engine durability and performance. In addition to the Presidente Getúlio Vargas Refinery (Repar which has been selling it since 2002 and now another two Petrobras refineries ran Diesel R5 production tests late last year RJ) has adapted its logistical infrastructure and hydrotreatment process units is finishing the logistical infrastructure adjustments Original announcement link A global information service for upstream oil and gas opportunities - divestitures The energy-pedia databank contains links to information on the world financial and energy markets, including share prices, oil and gas prices and the global stock exchanges. Read more... A list of commonly used terms in the oil and gas industry. Read more... Subscribe to the FREEenergy-pedia Daily NewsletterSubscribe Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Water reuse in a hydroelectric system would increase the supply of electricity to São Paulo and the Baixada Santista metro area of São Paulo State EMAEHenry Borden plant: water descends 720 meters to generate power in CubatãoEMAE Located in the foothills of the Serra do Mar the Henry Borden hydroelectric plant is an important source of electricity the plant captures water from the Rio das Pedras basin the water moves the turbine assembly designed to generate up to 880 megawatts (MW) of power has only been semi-operational since the 1990s because of a restriction on the uptake of water such that the waters of the Tietê and Pinheiros Rivers are prohibited from being reversed for Billings In the interest of better plant utilization a professor of civil engineering with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (Poli-USP) proposes transforming the Henry Borden plant into a reversible hydroelectric one This possibility has been discussed in Brazil—at the end of last year Eletronorte (Centrais Elétricas do Norte do Brasil) Germany and Austria in the capital Brasilia where they discussed regulatory and economic issues related to these projects Reversible hydroelectric power plants have located beyond the powerhouse where electricity is generated During the day when energy consumption is highest the hydroelectric plant uses water from the upper reservoir to generate electricity it pumps some of the water that passed through the turbines and returns it to the upper reservoir A type of closed circuit with continuous recycling of water is thus established There are currently more than 127,000 MW of electricity generated in reversible plants worldwide—the potential equivalent of nine plants the size of Itaipu which has a generating capacity of 14,000 MW Italy and France are the leading countries in this type of technology which was created around 1890 in Europe,” says Carmo Gonçalves the engineer managing Eletronorte’s technology and a specialist in hydroelectric power plants Brazil has only two small hydroelectric plants of this kind both in the Pinheiros River—the Traição Plant The only comprehensive study on the potential of this energy source in Brazil was presented at the Technical Seminar on Reversible Hydroelectric Plants in the Brazilian Energy Sector “CESP (Companhia Energética de São Paulo) did a preliminary inventory study in the early 1980s which showed that the technical potential for this type of development in São Paulo State was approximately 200,000 MW,” says Paulo Sérgio Franco Barbosa a professor of civil engineering at the School of Civil Engineering Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Campinas (Unicamp) “While they have not carried out economic feasibility studies for implementation of reversible plants—which could reduce this estimate—the potential is great.” Barbosa says that a key advantage of reversible systems is their contribution to Brazil’s electrical system “These plants could provide more power to the system at peak times avoiding voltage and frequency fluctuations in the network which often cause drops in supply,” says Barbosa this type of hydroelectricity can support the expansion of intermittent renewable energy sources compensating for periods of absence or reduced electricity generation due to lack of sunlight (on cloudy days and during the night) or wind in the production of solar and wind plants reversible hydroelectric plants are advantageous even if their energy balance is negative when consuming more power—to operate the pumping station—than generating,” says Barbosa He says that the negative energy balance of reversible systems is between 15% and 25% the major challenge for their inclusion in the National Interconnected System (SIN) is in establishing regulatory frameworks and their economic viability Feasibility and adjustments “Transforming the Henry Borden plant into a reversible hydroelectric plant would enable the full use of its capacity and save up to 7,500 liters of water per second from Billings thereby improving the supply to Greater São Paulo,” says Domingos “Such a solution is significant at this time of supply crisis and would solve an old conflict in the system between generating power and supplying water.” The proposal was submitted in June and August 2015 at Poli-USP and at the Institute for Technological Research (IPT) and accepted by Empresa Metropolitana de Águas e Energia (EMAE) the state government agency responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Henry Borden institutional and environmental feasibility,” says Fernando José Moliterno a mechanical engineer and manager of EMAE’s Department of Planning and Engineering Domingos believes the cost and benefits of making Henry Borden reversible will depend on a detailed environmental “We already have the technology for this,” says Domingos adding that the lower reservoir would be built between the existing drain channels now used to drain water from Billings EMAERio das Pedras at the top of the Serra do Mar overlooking the pipelines that carry water to CubatãoEMAE The Henry Borden complex was installed in 1926 and in the years between 1930 and 1960 increased its capacity to 880 MW To obtain a water flow compatible with its capacity devised the flow reversal system for the Pinheiros River crosses the city of São Paulo and empties into the Tietê River The reversal system allowed water to flow in the opposite direction: water from the Tietê can be diverted to the reservoir provided an important energy supply for Baixada Santista boosting the growth of industries in Cubatão and the city of São Paulo the increasing pollution of Greater São Paulo’s water sources led the state government to restrict the reversal system in order to prevent Billings from being polluted by water from the Tietê and Pinheiros Rivers Originally designed to provide water for the operation of Henry Borden began also to be used for supplying water to the capital and surrounding cities a legal provision added to the São Paulo State constitution specified that pumping water from the Pinheiros to Billings could only be done under exceptional circumstances the flow of water intended for the Henry Borden complex was drastically reduced When the reversible system was in full operation the plants produced around 470 MW but with the reduced flow With the proposal to make the Henry Borden reversible the captured water would be sent back—thus allowing an increase in the return flow and thereby increasing the power generation with advantages both for industries and residents of Baixada Santista as well as the population of the São Paulo metropolitan region,” says Barbosa © Revista Pesquisa FAPESP - All rights reserved Air pollution is widespread and has brought about substantial effects on health It is therefore an issue of international concern Exposure to poor air quality has been ranked among the leading causes of premature deaths globally Over 80% of urban populations globally are exposed to poor air quality levels some of which significantly exceed the WHO PM10 limit of 50microgram/m3 the cities in low-income countries are significantly affected Statistics from WHO reveal that a staggering 98% of major cities in poor and developing countries fail to meet air quality guidelines given by WHO and Colombia rank among the top thirty urban areas with the worst air quality in South America With a population of more than 16 million people Chile is undoubtedly South America’s most stable and competitive economy the economic performance of the country comes at a price Chile has been experiencing a decline in air quality over the past few decades 12 of the country’s major cities ranked in the top thirty cities with the worst air quality in South America The fact that many Chilean homes use firewood for heating during winter is one of the reasons for the deprived quality of air Firewood releases as much as 94% of the fine particulate matters encountered in most Chilean cities and improper disposal of waste in the streets also account for the air pollution in most of Chile’s cities and towns In the list of top 30 cities with worst air quality in South America Colombia comes in second with seven cities While none of its cities make it to the top 10 of the list Colombia’s struggle with air pollution is experienced in both rural and urban areas Similar to Chile a leading cause of the pollution is the use of firewood and other solid fuels for heating and cooking the pollution can be sometimes as high as twice the WHO limit Brazil is the largest country in South America Five of its cities rank among South America’s most polluted locations A short drive from the lush city life of Sao Paolo is Santa Gertrude which ranks at the top of the list of the top 30 South American cities with the worst air quality with a PM10 average of 95microgram/m3 Santa Gertrude is one of the world’s largest producers of ceramic products and it is from this economic activity that most of its pollution stems The dust emitted during the extraction of clay and production of ceramics accounts for more than 90% of the air pollution Cubatão earned the name "Valley of Death" due to the large number of illnesses caused by pollutants The problems of air pollution are not unique to South American cities alone The consequences of the air pollution are pretty much the same across the globe polluted air is killing somewhere between 6 and 7 million people annually The cost of air pollution to the health sector is estimated to be more than $670 million and causes more than 4,000 premature deaths each year The statistic is quite similar in Colombia with the legislative measures that have been put in place there is set to be some significant improvement in not only the quality of air but the quality of life as well photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com Applied GeochemistryCitation Excerpt :In the thermal process much less F is released with some SiF4 produced during the initial conversion of the phosphate rock to phosphorus (Villalba et al. The volatilisation of F-containing compounds during the wet process has in the past been deemed responsible for serious environmental damage such as the destruction of forest areas in Brazil (Klumpp et al. Most modern plants have efficient scrubbing systems which according to EFMA (2000) are capable of removing more than 99% of the F-containing compounds Environmental PollutionCitation Excerpt :There is an elevated interest to cadmium and arsenic accumulation in soil plants and groundwater in the areas of intensive fertilizer application (Cupit et al. Pollution related to chimney emission is basically studied in connection with rainwater acidification or fluoride impact on vegetation (Klumpp et al. There are few reports devoted to cadmium and arsenic pollution derived from emissions of fertilizer factories (Saet 43,000+ global companies doing business in the region news and interviews about your industry in English South Africa Ammonia Market Analysis: Industry Market Size Copyright © ChemAnalyst - 2020 | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy The implementation of the Port of Santos new Zoning and Development Plan (PDZ) currently under analysis at the Infrastructure Ministry (Minfra) is set to result in investments around R$ 9.7 billion (approximately US$ 2 billion) between the next five and ten years along with an estimated 60.4 thousand jobs in the region The projection was made by Santos Port Authority (SPA) the state-run company responsible for the ports administration which designed the new port plan taking into consideration the necessity of increasing about 50% of the port complex capacity by 2040 The near US$ 2 billion package is divided between investments in terminals with ongoing contracts (US$ 500 million) in 8 new biddings or area incorporations starting 2021 (US$ 1.1 billion) and road-railway access renovations (US$ 400 million) 60.4 thousand jobs equate to 21% of the current population of the three cities around the Port of Santos – Santos (204,2 thousand) Guarujá (54,6 thousand) e Cubatão (28,9 thousand) according to 2017 data from the Brazilian Institute of Statistic Geography (IBGE) SPA foresees the creation of 58 thousand jobs over the next 5 years 9 thousand indirect and 29.7 thousand income-effect SPA applied the National Bank for Social and Economic Development (BNDES) methodology adapted by Planning and Logistics Company (EPL) the values of which represent the total jobs generated for the whole period of the project’s execution the enlargement of both capacity and movement will result in at least 2.4 thousand new direct jobs in terminals out of 16.1 thousand to 18.5 thousand – included in the sum port terminal employees and single-job workers The new PDZ projects the port of the future starting from the premises of clusterization of areas by cargo type aligned with the best practices around the world “The survey shows that this PDZ will be one of the most important engines to the generation of millions of jobs and income in the region the aspect of automation and the utilization of new technologies that might affect the necessary workforce profile points to this significant increase in offer the perspective is that the container segment amplifies the number of direct workers from the current 5.7 thousand to 6.5 thousand as dynamic capacity moves from 5.3 million TEU (twenty-feet container equivalent units) to 8.7 million TEU in 2030 Such data considers the quantity of workers in 2020 as informed by current organized port terminals and Ogmo to SPA assigned to covid-19 combat only DP World Santos has been considered for the survey of direct jobs Other TUPs and terminals with rights-of-way According to SPA’s Business Development and Regulation Director the applied methodology considers a deflator in the relation between capacity and job posts influenced by the potential increase in applied technology in the sector “The job balance is positive and represents significative impulse to the generation of income and It is a new phase of national port infrastructure expansion creating better conditions to local economy” died after 'passing out' while having sex with an older man in a car(Image: Newsflash)A 15-year-old has tragically died after "passing out" while having sex with an older man in a car in Brazil Gabrielly Dickson Alves Nascimento was rushed to hospital on July 29 but died the next morning A unnamed 26-year-old man told the police the two had been having sex when the girl turned pale Police are now awaiting the results of a post-mortem no other indications of a physical assault A 26-year-old said he was having sex with Gabrielly when her lips and skin turned pale and she passed out(Image: Newsflash)Article continues belowThe man described as a “general services assistant” is not believed to have been charged with any crime Dickson's family was not aware of her relationship with the the man and she was not thought to have been suffering from any pre-existing conditions “Forensic examinations were requested and the case registered as a suspicious death by the Cubatão Police Station,” the Cubatão Ministry said in a statement She was rushed to hospital where desperate attempts to save her were made but she tragically died in the early hours of the following day(Image: Newsflash)Dickson's sudden death sparked an immediate outpouring of grief among her friends family and neighbours in the township of Cubatão The girl's friends and classmates described her as hard-working, dedicated, happy and loved by everyone. Dickson’s final post on Twitter, published just two days before her untimely death, read “who is it that hates me?” 15-Year-Old Girl Dies While Having S3x With A Man In His Car | #IgbereTV Police are awaiting the results of a post-mortem after a girl aged just 15 died of an apparent heart attack while having s3x in a car with a 26-year-old man Gabrielly Dickson Alves Nascimento was rushed to hospital on Thursday July 29 after the unnamed man realised she had passed out He told police that he had been having s3x with the teen when her lips and skin turned pale and her hands “twisted back” behind her in a spasm Doctors at the the UPA Jardim Casquiero medical facility in Cubatão diagnosed a cardiopulmonary arrest but were were unable to save Dickson and she died in the early hours of the following morning An initial medical examination found blood in the girl’s v@gina but there were no other indications of a physical assault Dickson’s family was not aware of her relationship with the the man Dickson’s sudden death sparked an immediate outpouring of grief among her friends The girl’s friends and classmates described her as hard-working published just two days before her untimely death We serve responsible ads and ask that you disable your ad blocker while visiting