Ethanol puts Brazil on the green shipping fuel map

The first vessel bunkered with ethanol in Brazil at the Port of Santos (Vanessa Rodrigues/AT)

Brazilian ethanol is a ready-to-use green fuel solution capable of meeting global maritime transport demand while accelerating the energy transition. The first bunkering operation for a cargo vessel at the Port of Santos demonstrates this potential. This is the assessment of experts interviewed by A Tribuna .

The vessel CMA CGM Iron was bunkered with ethanol at Tecon Santos, operated by Santos Brasil, in Guarujá, last Sunday. The fuel used was the same ethanol commonly supplied to passenger vehicles.

According to Pedro Guedes, Technical Manager for Bio-solutions and Fertilizers at Instituto E+ Transição Energética, the commercial bunkering of an ocean-going vessel with ethanol proves the country's ability to mobilize domestic logistics, production, and fuel supply.

"Ethanol already offers significant potential when produced in an appropriate and sustainable manner, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by between 75% and 80% compared with conventional fuels. This reduction can be even greater through improved agricultural practices, the use of low-carbon fertilizers, and higher productivity", says Guedes.

The specialist notes that the expansion of this market will depend on the international regulatory framework currently under discussion at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is expected to recognize ethanol as one of the pathways toward the decarbonization of the shipping sector.

Guedes emphasized that establishing Brazil as a global bunkering hub will require investments in logistics, port infrastructure, and the continued compliance with sustainability criteria. "The validation of an international framework for these emission reductions, together with competitive and sustainable logistics and infrastructure in Brazil, are critical factors. It is essential that this be ensured both in terms of certification and auditing, as well as reputation, so that Brazilian production continues to be recognized under these international processes", he stressed.

Partially prepared

João Paulo Ribeiro Santana, Environmental Director at Portos do Paraná, believes that Brazil is only partially prepared to expand ethanol consumption for maritime applications. According to him, although the country has the necessary technology and production scale, Brazilian ports still lack a distribution logistics network capable of supporting large-scale ethanol bunkering.

Regarding the investments required, Santana said they will vary considerably from one case to another, "depending on each port's previous experience in handling liquid bulk cargoes for bunkering purposes, available tank storage infrastructure, proximity to ethanol-producing regions, and transportation infrastructure."

In his view, Brazil has the mission of becoming one of the world's leading ethanol suppliers. "We need to take a leading role in the transition of the energy matrix toward clean-burning fuels. Until technologies such as green hydrogen become commercially viable, Brazilian ethanol is ready, and we should position it as an alternative to methanol, LNG, and ammonia."

João Paulo Ribeiro Santana, Environmental Director at Portos do Paraná, also argues that Brazil's potential is reinforced by its membership in BRICS, alongside major sugarcane-producing countries such as India and China. He advocates ethanol as a competitive alternative to fuels developed by industrialized nations.

"We already have another solution available, and we should promote it as a viable option. Engine manufacturers have already stated that they can convert and manufacture engines capable of operating on ethanol", he says.

However, Santana acknowledges that ethanol does not yet compete globally with bunker fuel, the conventional fossil marine fuel. "This will depend on ethanol becoming available at scale across the world's ports, as well as on establishing competitive production and distribution costs."

Santana believes that investments in infrastructure can be offset by environmental benefits. "These variables, which are still generally treated as externalities, will increasingly become part of the decision-making process when selecting which fuel should be used."

Another perspective

Sidnei Aranha, Environmental Superintendent at the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS), says ethanol places Brazil in a privileged position in the shipping industry's energy transition because it is both a mature technology and a renewable fuel with low carbon emissions.

"Ethanol is an alternative, sustainable, renewable fuel that generates lower emissions. Proálcool (Programa Nacional do Álcool) was launched in Brazil in 1975. Ethanol technology in Brazil is fully established, and we believe the country's agricultural capacity is sufficient to produce enough sugarcane to supply the international market."

According to Sidnei Aranha, Environmental Superintendent at the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS), the bunkering operation carried out at the Port of Santos demonstrates that Brazil is offering the world a practical solution for the decarbonization of maritime transport.

In his assessment, Brazil's competitive advantage lies in its ability to produce ethanol at scale and distribute the fuel to the world's leading ports. "We have arable land, favorable climate conditions, and companies that have already mastered this technology. It has every opportunity to gain global acceptance", he says.

Aranha adds that the consolidation of ethanol as a marine fuel could further strengthen Brazil's strategic position on the international stage. "Brazil will establish itself as the world's leading green power."