Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: LUIZ FELIPE CARAMEZ BERTEGES

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : LUIZ FELIPE CARAMEZ BERTEGES
DATE: 02/07/2026
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Google Meet
TITLE:

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF NUTRIENT RECOVERY FROM WASTEWATER USING BIOCHAR FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION

KEY WORDS:

Wastewater; Techno-economic evaluation; Agricultural input; Circular economy

PAGES: 40
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Engenharia Agrícola
SUMMARY:

The growing global demand for fertilizers, combined with the need to reduce dependence on finite mineral resources, has driven the development of technologies aimed at nutrient recovery and recycling. Among these solutions, nutrient recovery processes in wastewater treatment plants stand out, enabling the transformation of waste into products with potential for agricultural application. In this context, this project aims to perform a techno-economic evaluation of the industrial-scale use of biochar for nutrient recovery in wastewater treatment plants, aiming at its agricultural utilization. Operational, productive, and economic data related to obtaining the enriched material will be collected, including implementation costs, equipment acquisition, energy consumption, inputs, labor, transportation, operation, and maintenance of the system. This information will be compared with results obtained in laboratory studies and data reported in the scientific literature, allowing for the estimation of the expected performance of the process on an industrial scale. The economic evaluation will be conducted through the development of implementation and operation scenarios, considering different production scales and consumer markets. The revenue generation potential will be estimated based on the commercialization of the enriched material as an agricultural input, considering its agronomic value, the concentration of recovered nutrients, and a comparison with commercially available fertilizers and soil conditioners. To determine the financial viability of the technology, economic indicators widely used in investment analysis will be applied, including Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, Simple and Discounted Payback, and the Benefit-Cost Ratio. The research is expected to provide a consistent evaluation of the technical, economic, and market viability of using biochar for nutrient recovery in wastewater treatment plants, focusing on its application as an agricultural input. The results should demonstrate the potential of the technology to transform waste into value-added products, contributing to the circular economy and a more efficient use of natural resources.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1759225 - ALEXANDRE LIOI NASCENTES
Interno - 2353141 - LEONARDO DUARTE BATISTA DA SILVA
Externo à Instituição - DAVID VILAS BOAS DE CAMPOS - EMBRAPA