Abundant supply of ethanol and biodiesel pressures the government to accelerate regulatory frameworks for decarbonizing maritime and inland waterway transport in Brazil.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) deems the creation of a national policy for sustainable fuels in navigation urgent. This assessment is based on the current high availability of ethanol and biodiesel in the Brazilian market.
During a meeting between state authorities and private sector leaders, the rapid removal of regulatory bottlenecks was advocated. The central objective is to establish a legal framework capable of leveraging existing supply and driving the energy transition in the aquatic transport sector.
The initiative aims to align national production capacity with global emission reduction guidelines, ensuring predictability for the modernization of the commercial fleet.
Legislative Advances and the Role of Agencies
To consolidate this scenario, the government is studying legislative proposals that could be integrated into the Future Fuel Law or form a standalone project, defining clear decarbonization targets.
These actions involve coordination among the ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels), Antaq (National Waterway Transport Agency), and the Ministry of Ports and Airports. Concurrently, the ANP is revising Resolution No. 903/2022 to simplify the commercial use of pure biodiesel (B100) and reclassify ethanol, which was previously treated only as an experimental fuel.
Marlon Arraes, Program Director at the MME, highlighted:
The availability of biofuels is clear evidence that we need to accelerate the pace in designing this public policy.
Market Projections and International Insertion
Estimates from the Energy Research Company (EPE) indicate that by 2035, the country will have the potential to supply nearly 51 billion liters of ethanol and 1.5 billion liters of biodiesel for the aquatic segment.
Globally, the Brazilian representative at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Flávio Mathuiy, emphasized that consolidated internal regulations offer the necessary legal certainty to guide shipowners’ choices.
Industry companies, such as Copersucar and Inpasa, are calling for regulatory consistency and suggest an alliance among major producers, like Brazil, the United States, and India, to strengthen the position of biofuels before the IMO.
The advancement of a legal framework for sustainable navigation strategically positions the country in the global clean energy landscape.
By connecting domestic supply with transparent rules, Brazil enhances the competitiveness of waterway transport and accelerates the fulfillment of climate goals in the transportation sector.
