Sugar and bioethanol trading company Copersucar on Monday (13 July) said the company and its partners successfully completed a bioethanol bunkering operation for the CMA CGM IRON, the first 13,000 TEU tri-fuel certified engine containership, at the Port of Santos on 12 July.

The partners are CMA CGM Group, AGEO Terminais, the largest liquid bulk storage operator at the Port of Santos; Santos Brasil, the biggest container terminal in Brazil; and Bunker Holding subsidiary Bunker One. 

Copersucar said the operation represents a major milestone for the decarbonisation of maritime transport, positions Brazil among the countries capable of carrying out this type of bunkering operation, and reinforces bioethanol as a readily available solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector.

The bioethanol supplied by Copersucar benefits from a certified supply chain. Sugarcane expansion takes place mainly on degraded pastureland, while Brazil’s RenovaBio program establishes stringent sustainability and zero-deforestation requirements.

The bunkering required logistical and operational coordination among multiple stakeholders across the value chain, involving the transport of bioethanol to the Port of Santos, its storage in dedicated infrastructure, and its transfer to the vessel via a specialized barge.

“The operation provides practical evidence that bioethanol offers the attributes needed to accelerate the decarbonisation of maritime transport,” the company said. 

Beyond this first demonstration, the Port of Santos and Santos Brasil container terminal are positioning themselves and Brazil as a future low-carbon marine fuels hub for South America. As the continent’s largest port and a major gateway for global trade, Santos has the potential to connect Brazil’s renewable energy resources with international shipping demand. 

The CMA CGM IRON, delivered in 2025, is the Group’s first vessel in a series of twelve 13,000 TEU containerships, equipped with the world’s first tri-fuel engine certified to operate on bioethanol: Everllence-B&W G95ME-C10.5-LGIM.

“Together with our partners, we have shown that innovation can move from the laboratory to real maritime operations. The certification of our first tri-fuel vessel is a major technological milestone for CMA CGM. It opens the way for the broader use of lower-carbon fuels and gives us new options to accelerate the decarbonisation of our shipping activities” said Christine Cabau Woehrel, Executive Vice President Assets & Operations, CMA CGM.

“This operation demonstrates Copersucar’s ability to connect production, logistics and markets to enable bioenergy solutions at scale. More than a pioneering bunkering operation, we are creating the conditions for bioethanol to become a competitive component of the maritime energy mix, further strengthening Brazil’s leadership in the transition to a low-carbon economy,” said Tomás Manzano, CEO of Copersucar.

“This operation can be considered a milestone in the global maritime industry’s energy transition, as the sector begins to adapt to this new model. Today, Around 70 vessels of the global fleet are capable of operating on methanol and, consequently, with bioethanol. Over the next few years, however, an additional 400 vessels are expected to be delivered from shipyards ready to sail using a non-fossil fuel,” said Flavio Ribeiro, CEO of Bunker One.

Photo credit: Copersucar
Published: 14 July, 2026

Marine fuel supplier Peninsula on Monday (13 July) said it has successfully completed the delivery of bio-LNG to Royal Caribbean Group’s newest Icon-class cruise ship, Legend of the Seas, in Cádiz, Spain.

This marked Peninsula’s first bioLNG distribution in the Port of Cádiz. The milestone was met with amplified significance as the company has now supplied all three Icon-class vessels, further strengthening its long-standing relationship with Royal Caribbean Group.

Nacho de Miguel, Head of Alternative Fuels and Sustainability at Peninsula, said: “This supply highlights the strength of our planning, coordination and execution at scale. As cruise operators introduce increasingly advanced vessels, our focus remains on delivering safe, reliable and efficient fuel supply, aligned with evolving operational and environmental demands.”

The delivery was carried out through coordination with all stakeholders, including the Port of Cadiz and Royal Caribbean Group. 

Photo credit: Peninsula
Published: 14 July, 2026

Once a week, bunker intelligence platform ENGINE will publish a snapshot of alternative and conventional bunker fuel prices in the world’s two biggest bunkering hubs. The following is the latest snapshot:

13 July 2026

• Potential pooling values for B100 and LBM decline
• B100 premium over LNG shrinks to $1/mt for diesel SS engines
• Singapore LNG cheaper than LSMGO, B100 for Otto MS engines

ENGINE-assessed FuelEU Maritime pooling values for B100 and liquefied biomethane (LBM) on EU-EU voyages have fallen by $29/mt and $41-47/mt, respectively, over the past week.

OceanScore’s FuelEU Pooling Index has fallen by around €10/mtCO2e to €165/mtCO2e ($189/mtCO2e), weighing on the pooling benefits of B100 and LBM on voyages between EU ports.

B100’s discount to LNG consumed in Otto medium-speed (MS) engines has widened by $49/mt to $187/mt over the week.

In contrast, B100 still remains at a premium to LNG consumed in diesel slow-speed (SS) engines in Rotterdam, but that premium has narrowed sharply to just $1/mt from $58/mt the previous week.

LBM discounts to LSMGO in Rotterdam have narrowed by $23-31/mt to $592-787/mt over the week. Its discounts to VLSFO have narrowed even further, falling by $70-78/mt to $253-448/mt.

For dual-fuel vessels with Otto MS engines bunkering in Singapore, LNG has flipped from a $10/mt premium to a $26/mt discount against LSMGO over the week. Against B100, it has shifted from a $17/mt premium to a $22/mt discount.

It should be noted that B100 and methane largely serve different vessel segments with distinct operational requirements and fuel needs, and do not necessarily compete directly with one another.

Liquid fuels

HSFO and VLSFO prices in Rotterdam have risen by $27-31/mt, while the port’s LSMGO benchmark has climbed by a steeper $79/mt over the past week. Rotterdam’s B100 price has also gained $24/mt.

B100’s discounts to VLSFO and LSMGO have widened by $7/mt and $55/mt, respectively.

Singapore’s conventional bunker fuel benchmarks have climbed by $12-70/mt over the week. The port’s B100 price has surged by $73/mt, pushing its premium over VLSFO up by $61/mt to $242/mt.

B100 has remained at a discount to LSMGO in Singapore, although that discount has narrowed to around $4/mt from $7/mt the week before.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG prices have surged by $74-81/mt over the past week, while LBM prices have risen even more sharply by $102-109/mt.

LBM discounts to LNG have narrowed by $28/mt to $419-426/mt.

Singapore’s LNG prices have gained $34-38/mt over the same period, and the fuel is now priced at $26-120/mt discounts to LSMGO, depending on the engine type.

By Konica Bhatt

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 14 July, 2026