Santos launches regular ethanol bunkering as CMA CGM switches fuel

The Port of Santos moved ethanol bunkering from trial status to a regular commercial service on 19 October 2026, when the 13,000 TEU containership CMA CGM Iron took fuel under a programme led by CMA CGM, Copersucar, Bunker One and the Santos Port Authority.

The operation is the first in a scheduled series. Further deliveries to CMA CGM vessels are planned before the end of 2026, according to the project partners — though neither volumes nor pricing for the follow-on operations have been disclosed, leaving the commercial scale of the corridor untested for now.

Why one vessel matters

CMA CGM Iron carries an Everllance-B&W G95ME-C10.5-LGIM engine, which the partners describe as the world's first certified tri-fuel marine engine capable of running on ethanol. That certification matters practically: methanol-capable engines are already in the order books in numbers, and ethanol compatibility turns Brazil's largest export commodity into a candidate bunker fuel without new engine technology.

Citing DNV data, the partners said 159 vessels currently operate with methanol-capable engines that can also use ethanol, and more than 450 additional vessels with this technology are scheduled for delivery by 2030. If even a fraction calls at Brazilian ports, Santos has positioned itself early as a supply point.

How the supply chain works

The programme assembles a four-stage chain, each link handled by a named operator:

• Copersucar supplies the ethanol through its certified production chain of associated mills.
• Evolua Etanol transports the fuel from those mills to the Port of Santos.
• AGEO Terminais stores the ethanol at the port.
• Bunker One manages the bunkering operation itself, performed at the Santos Brasil terminal.

Bunker One developed a dedicated protocol after several months of preparation and staff training, designed around ethanol's low flash point and the specific safety requirements of handling it shipside. The company has not published incident or contamination benchmarks from the earlier trial phase, so the safety record rests on a single completed commercial operation to date.

"The operation demonstrates that ethanol can be incorporated into maritime activities safely, reliably and at commercial scale," said Giovani Grassi, CEO of CMA CGM Brazil. He added that the initiative supports CMA CGM's push to introduce lower-carbon-intensity fuels and build new energy supply chains for shipping.

How big could the market be?

The partners put global marine fuel consumption above 270 billion litres annually. On an energy-equivalence basis, they calculate that replacing 10% of that consumption would generate roughly 50 billion litres of additional ethanol demand per year — nearly double the size of Brazil's entire current fuel-ethanol market, for scale. That figure is a theoretical ceiling, not a forecast; it assumes price parity, engine availability and port infrastructure that do not yet exist outside a handful of locations.

Copersucar framed the programme as the start of the world's first maritime ethanol bunkering corridor. "This marks a milestone for ethanol and shipping," said Tomás Manzano, President of Copersucar. "It opens a new global destination market for the fuel." Manzano said the programme connects Brazil's production and logistics capacity with international demand for maritime decarbonisation — a demand-side claim that depends on how quickly methanol-fuelled tonnage actually enters service and where it trades.

What it means for carriers and forwarders

For CMA CGM, Santos gives the line a decarbonisation option on the Brazil–Europe and South America trade lanes that does not depend on green methanol supply, which remains scarce and expensive. For Brazilian producers, marine bunkering opens a second export channel alongside road fuel and chemical-grade shipments. For forwarders and shippers with carbon-reporting obligations, an ethanol-fuelled service on the lane could eventually feed into emissions accounting — once certified well-to-wake figures are published, which the partners have not yet provided.

Flavio Ribeiro, CEO of Bunker One Latin America, said the initiative combines Brazil's ethanol production capacity with Bunker One's international marine fuel network. Anderson Pomini, President of the Santos Port Authority, called the operation a step towards a new phase of sustainable port and maritime development.

The next test comes before year-end: if the planned further deliveries to CMA CGM vessels proceed on schedule and at consistent volumes, Santos will have the first working evidence that ethanol bunkering can operate as routine business rather than a demonstration.