INTERNATIONAL BODY CLEARS BRAZILIAN CORN ETHANOL FOR USE IN SHIPS

Brazil secured IMO approval for the carbon intensity benchmark of second-crop corn ethanol, becoming the first shipping-compatible biofuel with an officially defined emissions profile for maritime use. The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee set the default value at 20.8 gCO2e/MJ, well below bunker fuel oil’s 93.3 gCO2e/MJ reference. The measure gives Brazilian exporters an early regulatory advantage over US and other biofuel suppliers ahead of the IMO emissions framework scheduled for December 2026. The shipping sector accounts for 2% to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Brazilian officials said the approval removes a key barrier for shipowners evaluating low-carbon bunker alternatives and could expand demand for Brazil’s safrinha corn ethanol. Brazil is also pursuing IMO certification for sugarcane ethanol and biodiesel produced from soybean oil and animal fat.
Source: Valor Econômico / Datamar News