Located in Vargem Bonita, Brazil, the Celulose Irani Project demonstrates how one paper manufacturer is finding economic value in what was once considered waste. The facility uses byproduct biomass from their paper production process to generate sustainable energy for their facility. Irani thus provides a model for biomass projects that reduce both waste and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), promoting sustainable development through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Why biomass? Biomass is a renewable energy source which can be cleanly burned to generate electricity. Brazil has strong potential to encourage biomass energy, given that biomass producing sectors such as agriculture and timber constitute a significant portion of the economy. Yet while there is a great deal of potential in the country, less than 4% of total energy production in 2003 was derived from biomass.

Celulose Irani is a Brazilian pulp and paper manufacturing company which produces a diverse range of products. From 2000-2003, the company grew significantly, increasing production capacity 77% from 83,000 to 147,000 tons of paper/yr.2 They also anticipated future growth requiring an increase in energy use from 125,353 MWh/yr from 2004-2007 to almost 145,000 MWh/yr from 2008-2024.