Investment in biogas electricity generation at Friboi plants
JBS has invested R$17 million (US$3.3 million) to use methane captured from its operations to generate electricity at four Friboi plants in Brazil.
The methane is processed into biogas and used to power generators, reducing energy costs and reliance on the national grid.
Since 2023, the Ituiutaba (Minas Gerais) and Andradina (São Paulo) units have produced a combined 2,053,017 kWh of electricity, equivalent to the monthly consumption of 12,000 homes. The Barra do Garças (Mato Grosso) and Mozarlândia (Goiás) sites are expected to add 1.1 million kWh in the coming months.
In total, JBS says it has produced around 50 million cubic metres of biogas since 2023, avoiding 263,700 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The wider project began in 2021 with the installation of biodigesters at nine Friboi facilities. The total investment is R$77 million (US$15 million), with R$55 million (US$10.7 million) from JBS, R$4 million (US$780,000) from Âmbar Energia, and R$18.4 million (US$3.6 million) from other partners.
JBS is also assessing the use of biogas in transport and potential sales of surplus electricity.
