PIONEIRO: FUEL SELF-SUFFICIENCY THROUGH PYROLYSIS

The Pioneiro Group invited Pb-S.AMERICA Magazine to learn about its pyrolysis process, which supplies fuel to Pioneiro Ecometais. Our director Evandro de Marchi was extremely well received by the entire PIONEIRO team and brought us this institutional material for dissemination.

The Pioneiro Group has been operating in the market for over three decades, and is a family-owned company that has built its history through quality products and sustainable processes. The companies that make up the group are: Baterias Pioneiro, Pioneiro Ecometais, Pioneiro Pirólise, Pioneiro Escapamentos, Pioneiro Ecometais Paraguai and Dos Alpes Alimentos. Currently, there are over 1,500 employees who take our brands to every corner of Brazil and to over 10 countries.

Today, we highlight the activity of Pioneiro Pirólise. To understand its importance, it is necessary to introduce Pioneiro Ecometais, a company that, since 2007, has been selling lead alloys from the recycling of unusable lead-acid batteries.

With the purpose of strengthening the Pioneiro brand and promoting sustainable development, we invest in opportunities and focus on results. Currently, Pioneiro Ecometais is a reference in lead recycling, operating with a model that values environmental preservation, the responsible use of natural resources and self-sufficiency in its processes, aiming at a sustainable cycle for the business.

In 2011, we sought an alternative fuel source to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels, such as oil shale and coking coal, used in the lead smelting and refining processes, in addition to reducing production costs. The following year, we conducted research and made international visits to improve knowledge and materialize the project.

In 2013, we adopted pyrolysis technology, which uses unusable tires as raw material. Pyrolysis is a process that occurs inside reactors designed to thermally convert the hydrocarbons in tire rubber, without adding oxygen, resulting in valuable byproducts. This technology harmonizes industrial development with environmental preservation, based on the pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental.

Sustainable production occurs without the emission of toxic gases and without the generation of waste that is harmful to the environment, avoiding soil, water and air pollution, in addition to reducing the spread of diseases. The operation is self-sustainable in the production of fuels, boosting productive development.

After acquiring the technology, we structured the necessary physical and documentary parts, obtaining the Environmental Operating License and starting operations in 2016. The production flow follows the following steps:

• Receiving and unloading of unusable tires;

• Shredding the tires;

• Loading the pyrolytic reactors;

• Operation of the reactors for thermal decomposition of the tires;

• Production of gases that are condensed in the form of fuel oil and fuel gas.

• The gas returns to the burner, maintaining the closed heating circuit;

• Cooling, filtering and transferring the fuel oil to the tanks;

• Generation of coal and steel.

The products generated are used as raw materials in the oxidation-reduction and lead refining process.

The figures prove the viability of the pyrolysis plant. In the first half of 2024, we recycled more than 2,537 tons of unusable tires, generating 990 tons of fuel oil and 1,184 tons of coal. We highlight the stability in the physical-chemical composition of the products generated, ensuring quality and conservation of properties during use.

This stability made it possible to export pyrolysis coal to Paraguay, a country with no source of coal extraction, meeting the needs of the Pioneiro Ecometais recycling plant installed i in the neighbor country.

The pyrolysis process is developed in accordance with public policies for environmental protection, such as CONAMA Resolution No. 416 of September 30, 2009 and the National Solid Waste Policy - Law 12,305 of August 2, 2010. Pioneiro Pyrolysis is a promising technology, providing self-sufficiency in the use of fuels and contributing significantly to the construction of a circular and sustainable economy.

Pioneiro Group is deeply committed to sustainability and innovation. We will continue to invest in innovative technologies that not only improve our production processes, but also protect the environment and promote sustainable development. Our dedication to seeking efficient and environmentally friendly solutions reflects our commitment to a greener and more responsible future for the next generations.