As of 2022, Brazil generated approximately 81.8 million tonnes of municipal solid waste, with a collection rate of 93%. This equates to about 1.1 kg of waste per person daily. A significant portion of this waste ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and emits methane—a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28–36 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.

The Macaúbas Project aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through two main activities: capturing and flaring methane (CH4) from landfill gas (LFG) and generating electricity from this captured methane. The electricity produced will be supplied to the Brazilian national grid, replacing fossil-fuel generated power, thus avoiding CO2 emissions. This initiative contributes to sustainable development at both the regional and national levels.

Prior to the project, LFG was partially released through a passive capture system and burned in open flares. The project involves constructing an efficient LFG capture, collection, and flaring system, as well as a power generation plant with a total installed capacity of 9.982 MW. The estimated annual average GHG emission reduction is 445,100 tCO2e, with a total reduction of 3,115,703 tCO2e over the project’s lifetime. This project will also reduce odours and other environmental impacts associated with landfill gas.

The methodology used for the Macaúbas Project is the ACM0001 methodology – Flaring or Use of Landfill Gas, which has been assessed by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) and has achieved CCP-Approval.