On July 12, 2026, the Port of Santos handled the first bioethanol bunkering operation for a deep-sea containership in Latin America. Copersucar supplied 500,000 liters of anhydrous ethanol to the CMA CGM IRON. The transfer tests the commercial viability of substituting fossil marine fuels with regional agricultural biomass.

Engine specifications and energy density

The CMA CGM IRON is a 13,000 TEU vessel built by HD Hyundai Samho. It operates on an Everllence G95ME-C10.5-LGIM tri-fuel engine designed to burn bioethanol, green methanol, and conventional marine gas oil.

Ethanol holds an energy density of 26.8 MJ/kg. Methanol provides 19.9 MJ/kg, while conventional marine gas oil yields 42.7 MJ/kg. A ship requires approximately 1.6 tons of ethanol to equal the energy output of one ton of fossil fuel. The higher energy density gives ethanol a volumetric storage advantage over methanol for 13,000 TEU vessels on transoceanic routes.

Because ethanol has a high combustion temperature and a low cetane number, the engine control system continuously calibrates injection maps and cooling systems to prevent wear on cylinder liners and exhaust valves.

Bunkering safety and terminal logistics

Ethanol has a flashpoint between 11°C and 15°C, placing it below conventional marine safety thresholds. Bunker One executed the ship-to-ship transfer using the DONA ISA barge. The crew applied safety checklists developed by the International Association of Ports and Harbors, specifically the AB STS A protocol for alcohol-based fuels. This protocol dictates precise standards for emergency shutdowns, vapor leak detection, and hose compatibility.

CMA CGM treats fuel selection as a regional supply issue rather than seeking a single global replacement for fossil fuels. The company buys bio-LNG in Rotterdam, biomethanol in Shanghai, and bioethanol in Brazil. To secure docking priority for these specialized fueling operations, CMA CGM acquired Santos Brasil, the operator of the Tecon Santos terminal.

In January 2026, the French shipping group formed United Ports LLC with the infrastructure firm Stonepeak. Stonepeak invested $2.4 billion for a 25% stake in ten global terminals, funding upgrades to handle alternative fuels at facilities including Santos.

Carbon accounting and market expansion

Brazil regulates biofuel carbon accounting through the RenovaBio program. Life-cycle assessments submitted to the regulator show exported Brazilian ethanol generates 35.2 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule. This translates to a 70% emission reduction compared to fossil bunker fuel in two-stroke marine engines. The fuel for this operation was sourced from sugarcane and second-crop corn under a zero-deforestation policy.

Container shipping is one segment testing this fuel. The mining company Vale (NYSE: VALE) recently chartered two Newcastlemax bulk carriers (325,000 DWT) from Shandong Shipping Corporation to move iron ore from Brazil to China. Beihai Shipbuilding will equip these vessels with WinGD 6X82DF-M/E engines calibrated for ethanol. Vale expects up to a 90% greenhouse gas reduction on these specific routes by loading fuel directly at Brazilian export terminals.

The International Maritime Organization updated the Energy Efficiency Design Index calculation methods at the MEPC 84 session in 2025. Resolutions 410 and 411 allow shipowners to officially certify ethanol consumption against their emission reduction targets. European Union directives currently limit exemptions for first-generation agricultural fuels, pushing operators to deploy ethanol-powered vessels on routes connecting South America to Asia.