Marco Antonio Fujihara, Luiz Carlos Goulart and Geraldo Moura

14.1. THE PLANTAR PROJECT

The Plantar project has been designed according to the CDM rules agreed upon under the Kyoto Protocol. It is based on fuel switching in the iron industry, that is, avoids the use of coal coke in the production of pig iron by using sustainable charcoal instead. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions are achieved through afforestation and reforestation, charcoal production, and in the industrial process for pig iron production.

The project was started in 2001 and includes the establishment of 23 100 ha of high yielding Eucalyptus varieties to produce wood for charcoal, which will displace coke in the pig iron production. In addition, emissions reductions will be accom­plished through the reduction of methane emissions in the charcoal production and regeneration of cerrado[17] native vegetation in 478 ha of pasture land. The total reductions expected along the project life are specified in Table 14.4.

The project is located in the Southeast of Brazil, State of Minas Gerais, in the municipalities of Sete Lagoas, Curvelo and Felixlandia. It evolves during twenty-eight years, in accordance with the 7-year Eucalyptus forest-growing cycle in the region. Beyond the climate change mitigation benefits, the project promotes the use of renewable resources and sustainable socio-economic development in the rural areas of Minas Gerais. The Plantar project follows the requirements for CDM projects and has been recently approved by the Prototype Carbon Fund at the World Bank.