Brazil Completes First Deep-Sea Bioethanol Bunkering at Port of Santos

The operation involved a complex logistics chain coordinated by CMA CGM, Copersucar, Santos Brasil, AGEO Terminais, and Bunker One. Bioethanol was transferred to the vessel via a specialized barge, leveraging existing infrastructure to demonstrate that sustainable fuels can be integrated into current maritime workflows. The fuel supplied by Copersucar adheres to the RenovaBio program, ensuring strict sustainability standards and zero-deforestation requirements.

This initiative highlights the potential of the Port of Santos to become a critical hub for low-carbon marine fuels in South America. For CMA CGM, the event serves as a practical test for its fleet expansion; the company plans to operate approximately 200 low-carbon-capable ships by 2031. The CMA CGM IRON, delivered in 2025, features a tri-fuel engine specifically certified for bioethanol, signaling a move from theoretical decarbonization models to active operational deployment. Industry stakeholders noted that with roughly 400 additional vessels capable of running on non-fossil fuels entering the global fleet in the coming years, the Brazilian pilot provides a scalable blueprint for the transition.