The increased blend of ethanol in Brazilian gasoline has fueled a political clash between the Lula administration and the opposition led by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro during the elections.
Brazil’s historical trajectory as a global leader in biofuels is facing a moment of polarization. The recent decision by the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) to raise the anhydrous ethanol content in common gasoline from 30% to 32% has brought the energy agenda to the forefront of electoral discussions. The measure, in effect since August, aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, projecting an annual reduction of about 900 million liters in foreign purchases.
While the agribusiness sector celebrates the boost to national production of clean energy, the public policy faces strong criticism. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, from the PL party, has capitalized on consumer dissatisfaction with the measure, linking the increase in the biofuel to what he calls “shrinkflation” — the phenomenon where products maintain their price but decrease in quality or quantity.
Technical Debate Versus Political Rhetoric
The lawmaker used his digital platforms to argue that the change harms drivers and raises uncertainties about engine integrity. Flávio Bolsonaro’s stance resonated with parts of the automotive industry and led to legislative initiatives by allies attempting to reverse the CNPE’s resolution. However, industry experts downplay concerns regarding the circulating fleet.
“They were designed to operate with any ethanol blend, from 25% to 100%,”
explains Rogerio Gonçalves, from the Brazilian Association of Automotive Engineering (AEA), emphasizing that the vast majority of Brazilian vehicles are equipped with flex-fuel technology. According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, rigorous evaluations of dozens of vehicle and motorcycle models confirmed the safety of the new proportion.
Impact and Future of Energy Transition
The bioenergy sector promptly reacted to Flávio Bolsonaro’s criticisms. In a technical note, six influential entities from the sugarcane energy chain refuted the comparison of the blend with inflationary practices, labeling the senator’s rhetoric as a dishonest attack on a state policy consolidated across successive governments.
Regardless of the election outcome, analysts like Marcelo Alvarenga, from the Eurasia Group, believe that the backbone of biofuels policy should be preserved. Brazil’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and the targets of the Future Fuel Law position the expansion of ethanol as a strategic pillar for the decarbonization of the economy by 2035, keeping the country at the forefront of the global energy transition.
