Regular bioethanol bunkering begins at the Port of Santos
New phase follows the pioneering operation carried out in July, through a partnership between CMA CGM, Copersucar, Bunker One, AGEO Terminais, Santos Brasil and the Santos Port Authority, and reinforces Brazil’s potential in the decarbonization of international shipping
São Paulo, October 2026 – CMA CGM, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions; Copersucar, a global leader in the sugar and bioethanol sector; Bunker One, a subsidiary of the Danish Bunker Holding group, a global leader in bunker trading; and the Santos Port Authority (APS) announce the start of regular bioethanol bunkering operations for vessels at the Port of Santos.
The first operation took place this week, in October 19, with the bunkering of CMA CGM IRON, a 13,000-TEU container ship equipped with the world’s first tri-fuel engine certified to operate on bioethanol: the Everllence-B&W G95ME-C10.5-LGIM.
The operation marks the transition from a pioneering experience to a regular bioethanol supply model, positioning the Port of Santos and Brazil as one of the leading low-carbon fuel bunkering hubs. By the end of this year, an additional multiple bunkering operations of CMA CGM vessels are planned with bioethanol supplied by Copersucar.
“Following the first operation carried out in July, we are now moving into a new phase, demonstrating that bioethanol can be incorporated into maritime operations safely, reliably and on a commercial scale. This initiative reinforces CMA CGM’s commitment to accelerating the adoption of lower-carbon solutions and supporting the development of new energy ecosystems for the maritime sector”, says Giovani Grassi, CEO of CMA CGM Brazil.
The bioethanol supplied by Copersucar comes from a consolidated and certified production chain. Sugarcane cultivation expands predominantly into degraded pastureland, while the RenovaBio program establishes strict sustainability and zero-deforestation criteria.
The market opportunity reinforces the potential of this initiative. Global demand for marine fuels exceeds 270 billion liters per year. Considering the energy equivalence between fuels, replacing just 10% of this consumption could represent an additional potential market of approximately 50 billion liters of bioethanol per year.
“This initiative marks a milestone for bioethanol and the maritime sector: it establishes the world’s first green corridor for marine bioethanol bunkering and opens up a new global end market for the fuel. Through this initiative, Copersucar is enabling the use of bioethanol in regular commercial operations, connecting Brazil’s production capacity and logistics infrastructure to international demand for decarbonization. This marks the beginning of a new growth frontier for the sector, with a renewable solution that already offers the availability, scale and competitiveness needed to advance in maritime transport”, says Tomás Manzano, president of Copersucar.
The bunkering operations involve the coordinated efforts of several partners, connecting the stages of fuel production, transportation, storage and bunkering. Bioethanol produced by mills associated with Copersucar is supplied and transported to the Port of Santos by Evolua Etanol, a company that is part of the Copersucar ecosystem, where it is stored by AGEO Terminais. This logistics infrastructure enables the biofuel to be made available for ship bunkering.
At the bunkering stage, which takes place at the Santos Brasil terminal, Bunker One has developed a pioneering protocol for Latin America following months of studies and specialized team training, taking into account the fuel’s low flash point.
For Antônio Carlos Sepúlveda, CEO of Santos Brasil, hosting this type of operation at Tecon Santos reinforces the company’s commitment to the sustainable development of logistics in Brazil. “We have been working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations and those of our customers. Contributing to the energy transition in the maritime sector is also part of this agenda,” he says.
“Brazil has recognized the potential of bioethanol for decades. Now, we are bringing this experience to international shipping, combining Brazil’s production capacity with Bunker One’s expertise and global reach. By leading this initiative, the Port of Santos is positioning itself as a strategic destination for shipowners seeking to reduce their emissions, while other markets are still making progress on regulations for this type of bunkering,” says Flavio Ribeiro, CEO of Bunker One LatAm.
According to Anderson Pomini, president of the Santos Port Authority (APS), “APS and all the partners involved in this operation have made history in global shipping and international maritime trade, a sector responsible for more than 90% of the world’s trade transactions, by becoming pioneers in ship bunkering with bioethanol. This is a defining step toward a new era of sustainable development. We are very happy and proud to have achieved this milestone.”
The growth prospects for this market are also linked to the evolution of the global maritime fleet. According to Det Norske Veritas (DNV), 159 vessels are already operating with methanol-ready engines that can also use bioethanol, and more than 450 new vessels equipped with this technology are expected to be delivered by 2030, which should rapidly expand the potential market for bioethanol.
About the CMA CGM Group
The CMA CGM Group is a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, true to its corporate Purpose: We imagine better ways to serve a world in motion. Present in 184 countries, it employs 170,000 people, including nearly 6,000 in Marseille, where its head office is located. As the world’s third-largest shipping company, CMA CGM serves more than 420 ports across five continents with a fleet of over 700 vessels. In 2025, CMA CGM carried more than 24 million twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEUs). Its subsidiary, CEVA Logistics, one of the top five global players, operates 1,000 warehouses and handled 15 million shipments in 2025. The Group’s air division operates a fleet of cargo aircraft under the CMA CGM AIR CARGO and Air Belgium brands.
CMA Media, the third-largest private media group in France, brings together RMC-BFM and several national and regional press titles (La Tribune Dimanche, La Tribune, La Provence, and Corse Matin) as well as the social media platform Brut. Committed to the energy transition, the CMA CGM Group aims for Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The CMA CGM Foundation provides humanitarian aid in crisis situations and supports education and equal opportunities worldwide. To date, the Foundation has transported 120,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to 106 countries and supported over 630 projects in France, Lebanon, and around the world: cmacgm-group.com
Press contact: press-relations@cma-cgm.com
About Copersucar
Copersucar develops and delivers renewable energy solutions at scale that drive the energy transition and contribute to global food security. Organized as an integrated ecosystem of specialized businesses, the company is a global leader in sugar and ethanol trading and operates an efficient multimodal logistics system. In ethanol, it serves Brazilian demand through Evolua Etanol and the North American market through Eco-Energy, which also trades natural gas. In biomethane, the company connects supply from producers, including mills within its ecosystem and third parties, to demand from customers seeking renewable alternatives to natural gas and diesel, contributing to the decarbonization of different sectors of the economy.
In sugar, in addition to the domestic market, the company serves customers in more than 70 countries through Alvean. Copersucar also operates in the renewable electricity sector through Newcom and is a shareholder in Logum, Brazil’s largest ethanol pipeline transportation system, and in the Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira – CTC, the world’s largest sugarcane R&D center. With integrated operations across different renewable energy chains, Copersucar combines scale, market knowledge and trading capabilities to develop new solutions and connect its products to evolving markets.
Learn more:www.copersucar.com.br
Press Information: Néctar Comunicação: copersucar@nectarc.com.br
About Bunker One
Bunker One is a subsidiary of the Danish Bunker Holding group, a global leader in the supply and trading of marine fuels, with approximately 10% global market share. With more than 60 offices in 32 countries, Bunker Holding operates globally and acts as a physical supplier through Bunker One. In Brazil, the company is the only marine fuel supplier with control over every stage of the operation, offering local expertise and global coverage. Learn more about Bunker One at: https://bunkerone.com
Press contact: renata@agenciatangara.com
About Evolua Etanol
Evolua Etanol is an open, collaborative platform that brings together producers and distributors, leveraging the intelligence and efficiency of its solutions to supply clean, renewable energy on a large scale.
Learn more: www.evoluaetanol.com.br
Media Contact: Néctar Comunicação – copersucar@nectarc.com.br
About AGEO Terminais
AGEO Terminais is a 100% Brazilian-owned company and the largest liquid bulk terminal operator at the Port of Santos, having maintained an undisputed leadership position in cargo handling for more than 15 consecutive years. It currently has an installed storage capacity of 585,000 m³ and handles products across a range of segments, including fuels, chemicals, petrochemicals, ethanol, corrosives, food and feed grade products, healthcare products, and heated and refrigerated goods.nnWith four berthing piers, it is the only operator with a private pier, equipped to handle LR1-class vessels and featuring infrastructure for barge loading.
Learn more: www.ageoterminais.com.br.
Press contact: institucional@ageoterminais.com.br
About Santos Brasil
Santos Brasil is a benchmark in port and logistics operations. The company was established 28 years ago to operate Tecon Santos (São Paulo), one of the largest container terminals in Latin America and the most efficient in Brazil. Since then, it has invested more than BRL 9 billion, calculated at present value, in acquisitions, expansions, new equipment and technology, contributing to the development of Brazilian foreign trade.nnThe company operates nationwide through eight strategically located terminals: three container terminals (Tecon Santos in São Paulo, Tecon Imbituba in Santa Catarina and Tecon Vila do Conde in Pará), one vehicle terminal in Santos, one general cargo terminal in Imbituba, and three liquid bulk terminals in Itaqui, Maranhão. Through Santos Brasil Logística, which operates in an integrated manner with the terminals, the company offers end-to-end solutions from port operations to e-commerce to more than 9,400 customers.nnSantos Brasil is controlled by CMA CGM Group, a global leader in shipping and logistics solutions. The company is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, which mobilizes businesses to advance sustainability. For the eighth consecutive year, it has been certified by GPTW (Great Place to Work) as one of the best companies to work for.
Press contact: Rep Consulting – Adriana Martins – Tel.: +55 (13) 99125-4591 – Email: adrianamartins@repconsulting.com.br
About the Santos Port Authority (APS)
The Santos Port Authority is a state-owned company affiliated with the Ministry of Ports and Airports. It is responsible for the logistical planning and management of the infrastructure of the Organized Port of Santos, the largest in Latin America, which handles approximately 30% of Brazil’s foreign trade. The port complex is located 70 kilometers from Greater São Paulo and comprises 53 terminals: 39 leased terminals, 8 off-port terminals and 6 private-use terminals (TUPs), located on both banks of the port estuary—Santos on the right bank and Guarujá on the left bank.
Press contact: Corporate Communications Superintendency – comuncacao.corporativa@portodesantos.gov.br | Tel.: +55 13 3202-6410