Bunker One, Copersucar, CMA CGM and APS launch regular bioethanol bunkering at Santos

CMA CGM, Copersucar, Bunker One,and the Santos Port Authority (APS) Friday (23 October) announced the start of regular bioethanol bunkering operations for vessels at the Port of Santos.

The first operation took place on 19 October with the bunkering of CMA CGM IRON, a 13,000-TEU container ship equipped with the world’s first tri-fuel engine certified to operate on bioethanol: the Everllence-B&W G95ME-C10.5-LGIM.

The operation marked the shift from a trial to a regular bioethanol supply model at the Port of Santos, supporting the development of low-carbon marine fuel bunkering in Brazil. By the end of this year, an additional multiple bunkering operations of CMA CGM vessels are planned with bioethanol supplied by Copersucar.

“Following the first operation carried out in July, we are now moving into a new phase, demonstrating that bioethanol can be incorporated into maritime operations safely, reliably and on a commercial scale. This initiative reinforces CMA CGM’s commitment to accelerating the adoption of lower-carbon solutions and supporting the development of new energy ecosystems for the maritime sector”, says Giovani Grassi, CEO of CMA CGM Brazil.

The bioethanol supplied by Copersucar comes from a consolidated and certified production chain. Sugarcane cultivation expands predominantly into degraded pastureland, while the RenovaBio program establishes strict sustainability and zero-deforestation criteria.

The companies said the market opportunity reinforces the potential of this initiative. Global demand for marine fuels exceeds 270 billion liters per year. Considering the energy equivalence between fuels, replacing just 10% of this consumption could represent an additional potential market of approximately 50 billion liters of bioethanol per year.

Tomás Manzano, president of Copersucar, said: “This initiative marks a milestone for bioethanol and the maritime sector: it establishes the world’s first green corridor for marine bioethanol bunkering and opens up a new global end market for the fuel. 

“Through this initiative, Copersucar is enabling the use of bioethanol in regular commercial operations, connecting Brazil’s production capacity and logistics infrastructure to international demand for decarbonization. This marks the beginning of a new growth frontier for the sector, with a renewable solution that already offers the availability, scale and competitiveness needed to advance in maritime transport.”

The bunkering operations involve the coordinated efforts of several partners, connecting the stages of fuel production, transportation, storage and bunkering. Bioethanol produced by mills associated with Copersucar is supplied and transported to the Port of Santos by Evolua Etanol, a company that is part of the Copersucar ecosystem, where it is stored by AGEO Terminais. This logistics infrastructure enables the biofuel to be made available for ship bunkering.

Bunker One developed a bunkering protocol for the operation at the Santos Brasil terminal, following months of studies and specialised team training to address bioethanol’s low flash point.

“Brazil has recognised the potential of bioethanol for decades. Now, we are bringing this experience to international shipping, combining Brazil’s production capacity with Bunker One’s expertise and global reach. By leading this initiative, the Port of Santos is positioning itself as a strategic destination for shipowners seeking to reduce their emissions, while other markets are still making progress on regulations for this type of bunkering,” said Flavio Ribeiro, CEO of Bunker One LatAm.

The growth prospects for this market are also linked to the evolution of the global maritime fleet. According to DNV, 159 vessels are already operating with methanol-ready engines that can also use bioethanol, and more than 450 new vessels equipped with this technology are expected to be delivered by 2030, which should rapidly expand the potential market for bioethanol.

Related: Port of Santos hosts Brazil’s first bioethanol bunkering of deep-sea containership

Photo credit: Copersucar
Published: 26 October, 2026