Emergy analysis a proposal for the sugar-alcohol sector of the State of Alagoas – Brazil/Análise emergética uma proposta para o setor sucroalcooleiro do Estado de Alagoas – Brasil

Abstract

Sugarcane stands out as one of the main agricultural products in Brazil and of great social, economic and environmental importance. The present work aims to conduct a case study of the ecosystem services of the soils in the Coastal Tablelands in the State of Alagoas, through the emergent analysis of an agroindustry of the sugar and alcohol sector. The study will be carried out with the sugarcane energy unit in the city of Rio Largo-AL. The survey of agricultural and industrial data will be obtained from the sugarcane energy unit. The input and output flows of energy, materials and capital of the sugarcane plant will be identified and quantified. Transformity tables will be used for the emergy calculations, the respective diagrams will be constructed and the carrying capacity of each plant process step will be evaluated and, finally, the data will be interpreted from the perspective of sustainability. In the municipality of Rio Largo-AL was selected an energy sugar-alcohol belonging to the Santa Clotilde group, which is active and with production of sugar, alcohol and energy and which are expressive for the Coastal Tablelands region. The project activities are in the data collection phase of the unit's agricultural and industrial activities. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the ecological and economic processes of the sugar and alcohol sector in the Northeast of Brazil. Thus, the study will make it possible to add information that can be used in the comparison between other energy sugarcane units in the region.

Keywords

• sugarcane
• transformity
• sustainability