Port of Santos Launches Regular Bioethanol Bunkering Operations in Milestone for Green Shipping

## Port of Santos Launches Regular Bioethanol Bunkering Operations The Port of Santos, Latin America's largest port, has transitioned from pilot operations to regular bioethanol bunkering services, signalling a meaningful advance in the decarbonisation of international maritime trade. According to PR Newswire, the new phase follows a pioneering bunkering operation conducted in July and is the result of a multi-party partnership involving Copersucar, CMA CGM, Bunker One, AGEO Terminais, Santos Brasil, and the Santos Port Authority. The collaboration brings together key players across the fuel supply chain, shipping, and port infrastructure sectors to establish a commercially viable green bunkering corridor at one of the world's busiest container ports. ### A Strategic Alliance for Sustainable Fuels The partnership reflects a growing trend of cross-industry cooperation required to scale alternative marine fuels. Copersucar, one of Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol trading companies, provides the feedstock expertise, while global carrier CMA CGM — one of the most active shipping lines in the alternative fuels space — lends commercial demand and operational credibility to the initiative. Bunker One handles the marine fuel supply logistics, with AGEO Terminais and Santos Brasil providing terminal and port infrastructure support. ### Brazil's Emerging Role in Maritime Decarbonisation Bioethanol is gaining traction as a transitional marine fuel, offering meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional heavy fuel oil when produced from sugarcane — a crop in which Brazil holds a commanding global position. The country's well-established sugarcane ethanol industry gives it a structural advantage in supplying this fuel at scale and at competitive cost. The regularisation of bunkering operations at Santos underscores Brazil's potential to position itself as a strategic hub for sustainable marine fuels in the South Atlantic, serving vessels on key trade routes between South America, Europe, and Asia. ### Industry Significance For shipping lines under increasing pressure to meet the International Maritime Organization's revised greenhouse gas targets — which call for net-zero emissions by or around 2050 — access to reliable alternative fuel bunkering at major port calls is critical. The establishment of routine bioethanol supply at Santos adds an important option to the growing but still limited network of green bunkering locations worldwide. The initiative also demonstrates how port authorities, terminal operators, fuel suppliers, and carriers can collaborate to accelerate the energy transition, a model likely to be replicated at other major ports as the industry seeks scalable decarbonisation pathways.