Oct 27, 2025
Maersk to Test Brazilian Ethanol in Marine Fuel
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The Danish company Maersk announced last Monday that it was in the process of testing a mix of Brazilian ethanol with methanol and marine diesel - known as "bunker" for the engines of its vessels, aimed at decarbonizing its operations. Maersk, which represents 15% of the world's maritime transport market, is aiming to have net zero emissions by 2040. The maritime shipping sector currently accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
If the tests are positive, Maersk is expecting to start negotiations with major producers of biofuels in Brazil such as Raizen, Copersucar, Inpasa, FS, and Atvos. This has the potential to open up a huge market for the ethanol industry. A 10% mixture in the fuel of the world's entire maritime segment would require approximately 50 billion liters of ethanol annually. Brazilian ethanol production in 2025 is estimated at 35 billion liters, with approximately 20% derived from corn.
Maersk insists that ethanol suppliers will need to demonstrate that the whole process is environmentally sustainable. Brazil's sugarcane ethanol already has a reduced carbon footprint because it is produced in areas with no relevant impact on deforestation. Brazil's corn ethanol is produced from corn grown as a second crop after soybeans, which reduces its carbon footprint.
The vice president of Atvos stated that Brazil could quadruple the production of ethanol in a sustainable way provided there is sufficient demand. The combination of ethanol for auto transport, ethanol for sustainable aviation fuel, and potentially ethanol for maritime transport could supply that demand.
The primary way that Brazil could quadruple ethanol production is by increased production of corn ethanol. Brazil has millions of hectares of degraded pastures that could be converted to the production of soybeans and subsequently corn, if there is sufficient demand. Such an increase in corn ethanol production could limit Brazil's future corn exports.