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Recent tests and new contracts indicate that ethanol may gain space in maritime transport, but expansion still depends on scale, price, and environmental regulations
Ethanol, known mainly for its use in automobiles and its mixture with gasoline in various countries, is beginning to appear on a new front: international maritime transport. Companies like Maersk and Vale have started testing or ordering ships capable of using the biofuel as part of the search for alternatives to heavy fuel oil.
This movement occurs at a time of increasing pressure on shipowners, mining companies, port operators, and logistics companies to reduce emissions. According to Reuters, interest in ethanol has gained strength because the fuel has an already established supply, known infrastructure, and competitive cost when compared to some low-carbon options.
The topic draws attention because the naval sector has difficulty finding a single solution to decarbonize its operations. Ammonia, methanol, liquefied natural gas, biodiesel, and synthetic fuels compete for space, but each option brings challenges of price, availability, safety, infrastructure, and emissions throughout the life cycle.
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In this scenario, ethanol appears as a practical alternative for part of the fleet, especially in ships prepared to operate with methanol. The advantage lies in the possibility of gradual use, through mixtures or controlled tests, without requiring an immediate bet on just one technological route.
Maritime ethanol gains strength with tests on ships prepared for methanol
According to Reuters, Maersk completed its first voyages with 100% ethanol in the first quarter of 2026 and also conducted previous tests with ethanol and methanol mixtures. The company had already been evaluating the use of biofuel on the ship Laura Mærsk, a vessel designed to operate with a dual-fuel methanol engine.
In a statement released in December 2025, Maersk reported that it would test a mixture of 50% ethanol and 50% methanol, after an initial test with 10% ethanol and 90% e-methanol. The company stated that the goal was to expand lower-emission fuel options for its methanol-prepared fleet.
The technical logic is simple. Ethanol and methanol belong to the alcohol family, which allows for the evaluation of their combustion in similar engines. For shipowners, this can mean more flexibility in a market where green methanol still faces supply and cost bottlenecks.
Maersk, however, also acknowledges that the use of ethanol must adhere to sustainability criteria. The company cites the need for traceability, certification, and impact assessment on emissions, land use, deforestation, and competition with food.
Vale orders ships capable of using ethanol, methanol, and conventional fuel
In Brazil, Vale entered the debate by announcing, in April 2026, an agreement with the Chinese Shandong Shipping Corporation for the construction of two Guaibamax ships powered by ethanol. According to the mining company, the vessels are expected to be delivered starting in 2029 and are part of 25-year contracts.
The ships will be about 340 meters long and capable of transporting 325,000 tons of iron ore. Vale reported that the vessels will be able to use ethanol, methanol, and heavy fuel oil, and are designed for future conversion to liquefied natural gas or ammonia.
The company states that the use of ethanol can reduce carbon emissions by up to 90% under certain conditions, considering the fuel cycle and especially second-generation ethanol routes. This percentage, however, depends on the origin of the ethanol, the production method, logistics, and the methodology used to calculate emissions.
In addition to the fuel, the new generation of ships is expected to include rotating sails, more efficient engines, hydrodynamic devices, shaft generator, and silicone paint. According to Vale, this technology package can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 15% compared to the current generation of Guaibamax.
Climate pressure accelerates search for lower-carbon maritime fuels
The International Maritime Organization, the UN agency responsible for global standards in the naval sector, adopted a strategy in 2023 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in maritime transport. The goal is to achieve net zero emissions around 2050, with intermediate targets for 2030 and 2040.
According to the IMO, the strategy aims for at least a 40% reduction in the carbon intensity of international maritime transport by 2030, compared to 2008. The plan also seeks to ensure that zero or near-zero emission fuels and technologies account for at least 5% of the energy used by the sector by 2030, with an effort to reach 10%.
This regulatory environment forces companies to test alternatives before new requirements become more stringent. The IMO is also discussing carbon intensity standards for fuels and economic mechanisms linked to emissions, which could change the financial equation for ships powered by fossil fuels.
The pressure is not only from governments. Major clients, investors, and global export chains have also started demanding logistics with a lower carbon footprint. For companies that rely on long routes, such as mining companies and maritime trade giants, reducing freight emissions can become a competitive advantage.
Supply in the USA and Brazil helps ethanol enter the competition
One of the points that favor ethanol is the existence of an already structured global chain. Data from the United States Department of Energy indicates that the USA and Brazil together account for about 80% of the world’s ethanol production, with the Americans leading production from corn and Brazil mainly using sugarcane.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that the country had, in January 2025, 191 fuel ethanol plants, with an annual capacity of 18.477 billion gallons. This industrial scale helps explain why ethanol can be seen as a more available alternative than fuels still in the early stages of expansion.
In Brazil, besides sugarcane, corn ethanol has been growing in recent years, especially in the Midwest. This expansion interests the maritime sector because it increases supply predictability and creates new logistical possibilities for export and supply at strategic ports.
Reuters reported that Santos, in Brazil, and Singapore, one of the world’s main maritime supply hubs, appear among the locations with the potential to lead initial operations with ethanol. The U.S. Gulf and ports in northwestern Europe are also cited by experts as regions that could receive pilot projects.
Fuel has advantages, but does not solve the environmental challenge alone
Ethanol has a higher energy density per kilogram than methanol, which means a vessel may need less ethanol than methanol to produce the same energy. Still, it falls behind conventional fuel oil, requiring more volume or weight to achieve similar performance to the fossil fuels used today.
Another challenge lies in the origin of the product. Ethanol can have a smaller carbon footprint, but this depends on the raw material, the energy used in production, transportation, and possible changes in land use. Ethanol associated with deforestation, irregular crop expansion, or pressure on food loses strength as a climate solution.
Therefore, experts advocate that the advancement of maritime ethanol be accompanied by rigorous certification. To be accepted in global low-carbon chains, the fuel needs to prove real emission reductions from well to wake, a concept known in the sector as well to wake analysis.
DNV, one of the world’s leading maritime classification societies, states that there is no single answer to the energy transition of ships. The entity’s assessment is that different routes, fuels, and technologies will be necessary depending on the type of vessel, route, region, and infrastructure availability.
New market can create opportunity for Brazil
If maritime ethanol gains scale, Brazil can occupy a relevant position due to its consolidated production, experience with biofuels, and ports connected to major export chains. The opportunity, however, is not automatic and will depend on investment in logistics, storage, certification, and supply capacity at the ports.
The Port of Santos appears as a strategic piece by concentrating relevant cargoes and being connected to chains of sugar, ethanol, grains, ore, and containers. A potential maritime demand for ethanol could create a new channel for producers, trading companies, distributors, and port operators.
For agribusiness, the new route can open an additional market for sugarcane and corn ethanol. For the naval and logistics industry, it can accelerate infrastructure projects and specialized supply services, known in the sector as bunkering.
Despite the potential, the expansion should be gradual. Reuters cited expectations that new commercial operations with ethanol will appear in the next 12 to 24 months, but large-scale adoption will still depend on price, availability, regulation, technical acceptance, and environmental proof.
Race for clean fuels puts ethanol in a new phase
The advancement of tests shows that ethanol is no longer seen only as a road fuel and has started to be analyzed as an alternative for international maritime routes. The entry of companies like Maersk and Vale gives weight to the topic, mainly because it involves large ships, global chains, and long-term contracts.
It is still early to say that ethanol will be dominant in maritime transport. It is more likely that it will compete for space in a basket of solutions, alongside methanol, ammonia, biomethane, biodiesel, energy efficiency, rotating sails, and partial electrification in port operations.
The difference is that ethanol already has production at scale, industrial knowledge, and a strong presence in countries like Brazil and the United States. In a sector pressured by climate goals and uncertainties in oil prices, this combination can turn the biofuel into a concrete option for the next stage of naval decarbonization.
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