Análise técnico-econômica do aumento da seletividade de enxofre para utilização de lodo de enxofre oriundo da dessulfurização do biogás

Abstract

The production of biogas through anaerobic digestion requires essential purification steps to enable its use in electric power, biomethane, and other applications. Within this context, the desulfurization stage, aimed at removing hydrogen sulfide, is crucial. However, the traditional inclusion of elemental sulfur, an important by-product, into biofertilizers may not be economically viable, particularly in plants with a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide. This study aims to analyze the technical-economic feasibility of optimizing the selective generation of elemental sulfur in the desulfurization process with chemical absorption and biological recovery methods. The results indicate that incorporating an anaerobic bioreactor into the process enhances selectivity and reduces capital expenditure by 16.2 to 20.7%, considering CapEx annualization. However, this analysis is of pre-feasibility and requires assessment at a pilot scale before implementation in industrial operations. It is also recommended to explore the application of the generated sulfur in higher value-added products, such as sulfuric acid.