Sylvie Willis
Brazil has been a pioneer in the use of ethanol as an alternative to petroleum. The country has had an active ethanol program for over 40 years, and is the world leader in terms of both technology and usage of ethanol. The percentage of ethanol blended in gasoline in Brazil has varied over the years, with the current mandate set at 27%. Brazil's ethanol is primarily derived from sugarcane, which is considered more efficient than other feedstocks such as corn and rapeseed. The use of ethanol fuel has allowed Brazil to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and has contributed to the country's strategy for a more sustainable energy future.
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What You'll Learn
Brazil's ethanol fuel program
In July 2007, the mandatory blend was set at 25% anhydrous ethanol and 75% gasoline (E25 blend). However, in March 2011, due to ethanol supply shortages and high prices between harvest seasons, the lower limit was reduced to 18%. In response to an existing ethanol overstock, the government temporarily raised the ethanol blend in regular gasoline from 25% to 27% in March 2015, while maintaining the blend in premium gasoline at 25%.
The program has also faced challenges and adjustments. In the late 1980s, a slump in oil prices led to a decrease in the demand for ethanol-fuelled cars. This was further exacerbated by ethanol supply stagnation and consumer concerns about the reliability of ethanol fuel supply in the early 1990s. However, the introduction of flexible-fuel vehicles in 2003 restored confidence in ethanol-powered transportation. These vehicles can operate on any ratio of gasoline and hydrous ethanol, providing consumers with greater flexibility and choice.
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Environmental impact
Brazil currently blends 27% ethanol in gasoline, with plans to increase this to 30%. Pure gasoline is no longer sold in the country. In addition, some vehicles in Brazil run on pure ethanol or can switch between any blend of gasoline and ethanol. The country is the world's second-largest ethanol producer, with most of its ethanol coming from sugarcane.
The use of ethanol fuel in Brazil has had a positive environmental impact, with a 2009 study finding that it has allowed the country to avoid over 600 million tons of CO2 emissions since 1975. Another estimate claims that the use of ethanol fuel in flex-fuel vehicles in Brazil avoided 83.5 million tons of CO2 emissions between March 2003 and January 2010. The widespread use of ethanol has also brought environmental benefits to urban centres by reducing air pollution. For example, lead additives to gasoline were eliminated by 1991, and the addition of ethanol blends to gasoline lowered carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons, sulfur emissions, and particulate matter significantly.
Brazil's transport sector has a lower carbon intensity than that of most other countries due to its widespread use of ethanol fuel. A study found that ethanol fuel causes GHG emission reductions of 39-46% compared to gasoline and a total avoided emission of over 828 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Sugarcane ethanol has been found to reduce GHG emissions by 61% under the EPA's Renewable Fuels Standard 2 and by 71% under the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive.
However, there are concerns about the environmental impact of Brazil's biofuel policies, as they do not consider land-use changes or sustainability criteria. Some studies have found that sugarcane ethanol and soybean biodiesel could contribute to indirect deforestation, creating a carbon debt that would take about 250 years to repay. In addition, the intensification of cattle ranching and the promotion of high-yielding oil crops are necessary to achieve effective carbon savings from biofuels in Brazil.
To address these concerns, it is recommended that biofuel policies consider all potential adverse impacts of land-use changes and include strong actions to halt deforestation. Brazil has extensive experience in developing ethanol fuel policies, and new technologies are being developed to increase the efficiency of ethanol production and reduce its environmental impact. For example, second-generation ethanol production uses non-food biomass like sugarcane bagasse, which can increase overall biofuel sustainability and enhance productivity.
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Ethanol-gasoline blends
Brazil has been a pioneer in the use of biofuel, with an active ethanol program for over 40 years. The country has been able to substitute petroleum for ethanol for 20% of automotive fuel, and 80% of Brazilian cars can take various blends of gas and ethanol. The first use of sugarcane ethanol as fuel in Brazil dates back to the 1920s and 1930s, with the introduction of the automobile in the country. In 1931, a decree was issued mandating the blend of 5% hydrated ethanol to all imports of gasoline by volume.
In 1975, Brazil launched its first biofuel policy, the Alcohol National Program (Proalcool), with the purpose of reducing the country's dependence on imported oil by replacing gasoline with sugarcane-based fuel ethanol. Since then, ethanol production in Brazil has grown by 45 times, and the country is now the world's second-largest producer of ethanol fuel. In 1976, the Brazilian government made it mandatory to blend anhydrous ethanol with gasoline, with percentages fluctuating between 10% and 22%. This mandatory minimum gasoline blend led to pure gasoline no longer being sold in the country.
In 1993, a federal law established a fixed blend of 22% anhydrous ethanol (E22) in the entire country, with the option for the Executive to set different percentages within pre-established boundaries. In 2003, these limits were set at a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 25% (E20 and E25, respectively). Since July 2007, the mandatory blend has been 25% anhydrous ethanol and 75% gasoline or E25. In March 2015, the government temporarily raised the ethanol blend in regular gasoline from 25% to 27% (E27) to address an overstock of ethanol.
Brazil's ethanol program has been successful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality in major cities. The country's flex-fuel vehicles, introduced in 2003, have played a crucial role in the uptake of ethanol fuel. These vehicles can run on any proportion of gasoline and hydrous ethanol blends, providing flexibility and convenience to consumers.
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Flex-fuel vehicles
Brazil's flex-fuel vehicles, also known as "flex" vehicles, are capable of running on just hydrated ethanol (E100), or a blend of gasoline with 20 to 25% anhydrous ethanol, or any arbitrary combination of both fuels. The Brazilian car manufacturing industry developed these vehicles, which were introduced to the market in 2003. They became a commercial success, dominating the passenger vehicle market with a 94% market share of all new cars and light vehicles sold in 2013.
The Brazilian flexible-fuel car is built with an ethanol-ready engine and one fuel tank for both fuels. A small gasoline reservoir is used for starting the engine with pure gasoline in cold weather, for users in the central and southern regions where winter temperatures normally drop below 15°C (59°F). An improved flex motor generation was launched in 2009 that eliminated the need for this secondary gas reservoir tank.
A key innovation in Brazilian flex technology was avoiding the need for an additional dedicated sensor to monitor the ethanol-gasoline mix, which made the first American M85 flex-fuel vehicles too expensive. This was accomplished through the lambda probe, which is used to measure the quality of combustion in conventional engines, and is also required to tell the engine control unit (ECU) which blend of gasoline and alcohol is being burned. This task is accomplished automatically through software developed by Brazilian engineers, called "Software Fuel Sensor" (SFS), fed with data from the standard sensors already built into the vehicle.
By March 2018, a total of 30.5 million flex-fuel cars and light-duty trucks were registered in Brazil, and over 6 million flexible-fuel motorcycles. In 2022, sales of flex-fuel vehicles reached 1.63 million units.
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Brazil's ethanol industry
Brazil's ethanol fuel program has been in place for over 40 years and is based on advanced agricultural technology for sugarcane cultivation. Sugarcane has been cultivated in Brazil since 1532 and ethyl alcohol or ethanol is a by-product of sugar mills. The country's ethanol industry has been assisted by the National Biofuels Policy, known as RenovaBio, which came into effect in 2017. The Brazilian government has also played an active role in promoting the ethanol industry through guaranteed purchases by the state-owned oil company Petrobras, low-interest loans for agro-industrial ethanol firms, and fixed gasoline and ethanol prices.
Brazil is the world's second-largest producer of ethanol fuel, accounting for 15% of global production in 2017. The country exports ethanol to over 80 countries, including the US, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, India, Nigeria, and Taiwan. The demand for Brazilian ethanol is increasing as more countries adopt biofuel blending targets. Brazil's ethanol production uses sugarcane as feedstock, and the residual cane waste (bagasse) is used to generate heat and power, resulting in a competitive price and high energy balance.
The percentage of ethanol blended in gasoline in Brazil has varied over the years, with the government setting the percentage based on sugarcane harvest results and ethanol production levels. In 1989, the mandatory blend was fixed at 22% anhydrous ethanol (E22) by volume, with the option to set different percentages within pre-established boundaries. In 2003, these limits were set at a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 25% (E25). In 2011, due to ethanol supply shortages and high prices between harvest seasons, the lower limit was reduced to 18%, and the blend was dropped from E25 to E20. However, in 2015, the ethanol blend in regular gasoline was temporarily raised to 27%.
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Frequently asked questions
The ethanol blend in Brazil currently stands at 27%.
The ethanol blend in Brazil has varied from 18% to 27% since 2011. Before that, the blend was typically 25%, but it could be as low as 20% or as high as 22%.
The percentage of ethanol blended in gasoline in Brazil can vary, but it typically ranges from 20% to 25%.
