Minister confirms increase in mandatory ethanol blend in gasoline in May

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, confirmed this Friday, the 24th, the government’s decision to increase the mandatory mixture of anhydrous ethanol in gasoline to 32% (E32). The topic will be considered at the next meeting of the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE), scheduled for May 7th.

In addition to reducing gasoline prices, the minister also assessed that increasing the ethanol blend will make Brazil “self-sufficient” in gasoline. This argument comes from the perspective of reducing the need for imports and also the dependence on fossil fuels.

The announcement took place in Uberaba (MG), the minister’s electoral stronghold. It was the same place chosen by Silveira to announce the government’s project to increase the ethanol content in gasoline to 30%, in effect since August last year.

The Future Fuel Law determines that the increase in the mandatory percentage of ethanol in gasoline must be approved only after verifying the technical feasibility of the mixture for automotive vehicles. This Friday, the minister reported that tests on mixing ethanol in gasoline at percentages of 28% to 32% have already been approved.

“Ethanol, biofuels do not compete with food production. So, therefore, anyone who wants to truly decarbonize the auto-intensive industry, especially mobility and transport, forms a partnership with Brazil, invests in Brazil in biodiesel, invests in ethanol to decarbonize the planet and to be able to generate the new economy that the whole world needs”, declared Silveira, who is participating this Friday in the 9th Opening of the Minas Gerais Sugar and Ethanol Harvest, an event organized by the Companhia Mineira de Açúcar e Álcool (CMAA).

In the country, the expectation is that 4 billion more ethanol will be produced this year. The Minas Gerais Sugar and Ethanol Harvest is expected to reach 83.3 million tons, representing growth of 11.6% compared to the previous cycle.