Brazil advances biometane use and SAF mandate amid implementation challenges

At the 32nd Fenasucro & Agrocana fair in Sertãozinho, Brazil, industry leaders highlighted biometane as a low‑carbon fuel for heavy‑duty fleets. Copersucar’s BioRota program now operates more than 70 biometane‑powered trucks transporting sugar to the Port of Santos, cutting diesel‑related greenhouse‑gas emissions by up to 90%, replacing roughly 5 million litres of diesel and avoiding over 8 000 tonnes of CO₂. Paulo Montabone, director of the event, called biometane the sector’s “Pre‑Sal Caipira,” emphasizing its potential to decarbonise logistics.

Brazil’s broader biofuel policy also faces hurdles. While a 2024 law sets a national mandate for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) beginning in 2027, the implementing decree remains stalled in bureaucracy, and current production projects are projected to meet only about 40 % of the target. By contrast, Indonesia has already issued a SAF mandate for 2027. Brazil already benefits from a long‑standing ethanol aviation sector: Embraer’s Ipanema aircraft, certified in 2004, and more than half of the country’s agricultural‑aircraft fleet now run on ethanol, a model that could support the SAF transition if state action accelerates.