Port of Santos completes Brazil’s first ethanol bunkering of a containership

The Port of Santos completed Brazil’s first refueling operation involving an ethanol-powered containership on Sunday, July 12.

Owned by French shipping group CMA CGM, the vessel has a capacity of 13,000 TEUs and is expected to operate on services connecting Brazil with China via Sri Lanka.

The operation was carried out through a partnership between CMA CGM, which completed its acquisition of Brazilian port operator Santos Brasil in 2025, sugar and ethanol trading company Copersucar, and Bunker One.

Bunker One is a subsidiary of Denmark’s Bunker Holding and one of the world’s largest suppliers and traders of marine fuels, with an estimated 10% share of the global market.

CMA CGM expects 12 containerships of the same capacity, equipped with tri-fuel engines capable of running on ethanol, to begin operating in Brazil over the coming years.

The vessels form part of the company’s plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. CMA CGM expects to have approximately 200 containerships capable of using lower-carbon energy sources in its fleet by 2031.

Source: Globo Rural

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