The Federal Government is coordinating a new increase in the anhydrous ethanol content in gasoline, aiming to strengthen the country’s energy independence and reduce import costs.
A new proposal for Brazil’s fuel matrix is gaining momentum: the government intends to expand the participation of ethanol in gasoline composition, raising the mandatory blend from the current 30% to 32%. The strategy, which follows a directive from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is expected to be formalized by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, with the CNPE (National Council on Energy Policy) within the next two weeks.
This initiative continues the transition that began in mid-2025 when the country adopted the E30 standard. The discussion about the new 2% increase had already been signaled by the Ministry of Mines and Energy since April, reflecting the government’s intention to optimize the use of renewable sources to boost national decarbonization and energy security.
Self-Sufficiency and Economic Impacts
According to government projections, implementing the 32% blend is expected to reduce Brazil’s dependence on imported gasoline by 450 million liters.
With this, we can become self-sufficient, eliminating the need to import gasoline and also minimizing the impacts of the war
declared Alexandre Silveira after a meeting with businessmen and leaders from the energy sector.
The sugarcane industry sector, in turn, celebrates the measure. Evandro Gussi, president of UNICA (Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association), highlighted that the price difference between the biofuel and petroleum derivatives has already generated direct savings of R$ 2 billion for Brazilian consumers, in addition to saving R$ 8 billion in foreign exchange that would have been destined for imports.
Benefits for Consumers and Technical Tests
The competitive advantage of ethanol, which has an average cost of R$ 2.40 per liter lower compared to gasoline, is seen as a factor that could bring relief to the final consumer’s wallet with the increase in the blend. According to UNICA, the technical viability for the 32% level was successfully validated during the implementation of E30, proving that current engines are prepared to receive the new proportion without performance detriments.
The expectation is that the measure, besides encouraging the national production chain, will reinforce Brazil’s leading role in clean energy, reducing the domestic economy’s vulnerability to global instabilities caused by armed conflicts and fluctuations in the international oil market.
