Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy on Oct. 29 approved the creation of a new subcommittee that will be responsible for coordinating studies and proposing measures aimed at enabling higher blends of biodiesel and ethanol.
The technical body, referred to as the Subcommittee for Evaluation and Technical Feasibility of High-Content Biofuel Blends in Fossil Fuels, is tasked with implementing Brazil’s Fuel of the Future Law, which aims to increase the ethanol blend rate to up to 35% and the biodiesel blend rate to up to 20%.
Brazil earlier this year increased its ethanol blend level from 27% to 30% and its biodiesel blend level from 14% to 15%. The change became effective in August.
According to the government of Brazil, the new subcommittee aims to assess the technical feasibility of biofuel blends in proportions higher than those currently available in the market. The subcommittee will be coordinated by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and include members representing government agencies, research institutions, laboratories, producers, distributors, the automotive sector, and fuel users.
Efforts related to biodiesel are expected to launch in November with a focus on evaluating blends above B15, up to B25. Efforts related to ethanol will focus on blends of above E30, up to E35. The government’s announcement did not specify when the committee’s work on ethanol will begin.
