The objective of the work was to study the possibility of adjusting the characteristics of the biogas produced from the fermentation of vinasse in order to make it interchangeable with Natural Gas (GN), or a substitute GN (GNS) with characteristics that allow it to be introduced in the distribution network.
Normative and technical aspects associated with chemical composition and behavior during the combustion process are considered in order to meet the normative requirements established for NG. The work considers vinasse, the rejection of the production of ethanol from sugar cane, as a source for the production of biogas due to the great availability of this residue from the sugar and alcohol sector. The State of São Paulo (ESP) is treated with prominence, since it concentrates most of the production of the sugar and alcohol sector in Brazil. Calculations of mixing ratios treated with adjustment gases were carried out to verify the necessary proportions that enable the use of the mixture as GNS, using ANP specifications as reference. The results of the study indicate that the alternative of generating and processing biogas from vinasse is a technically viable option for converting a considerable fraction of this residue from the sugar and alcohol sector into gas with characteristics similar to NG. In addition, the alternative provides the valuation of the organic content of the waste, with reduction of soil contamination in the process of reusing nutrients in the fertigation processes.