Brazil

Emissions Profiles

Brazil is the world's fifth largest emitter of methane. While cattle are the country's largest source of methane emissions, approximately 6 percent of its anthropogenic methane emissions—21.5 MTCO2E—come from coal mining, landfills, and natural gas and oil systems.

Brazil 2005 Methane Emissions by Source

Source: 2006 USEPA Report: Global Anthropogenic Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions:1990-2020 http://www.epa.gov/nonco2/econ-inv/international.html Exiting Methane to Markets.

Experience and Opportunities for Methane Projects

Landfills across Brazil have an estimated overall generation rate of 300 to 578 million cubic meters per year, capable of providing 60 to 144 MW of electricity. With the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. EPA, the city of Fortaleza is implementing a landfill gas fired power plant. This project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 million MTCO2E during the 2007-2012 period.

Other Background

In 1997, the U.S. EPA assessed the technical and economic feasibility of landfill gas energy projects at two landfills in Sao Paulo. Brazil has two landfill gas energy projects under development in Sao Paulo. Both sites are expected to be operational in 2005.

Committee Membership

Brazil participates in the following committees:

  • Steering Committee
  • Coal Technical Subcommittee
  • Oil and Gas Technical Subcommittee
  • Landfill Technical Subcommittee
  • Agriculture Subcommittee

Brazil Subcommittee Contacts.

Top of page