RS terá usina de etanol à base de grãos de inverno

Spanish Market: Agriculture, Biofuels
26/01/24

As empresas FZ Bioenergia e Conexão Sul Brasil Holding detalharam parceria para a construção de uma usina de etanol de cereais em Viadutos, no Rio Grande do Sul, que poderia ajudar a resolver o déficit estrutural do estado no biocombustível.

As companhias começarão a construir a unidade em fevereiro, segundo anúncio em cerimônia na prefeitura de Viadutos, nesta sexta-feira. As operações estão previstas para começar no fim de 2025. O vice-presidente e ministro do Desenvolvimento, Indústria, Comércio e Serviços (MDIC), Geraldo Alckmin, que mantém um relacionamento de longa data com o setor de biocombustíveis, participou do evento.

Assim que o projeto de R$800 milhões for concluído, deverá ser capaz de produzir 151.000 m³/ano de etanol anidro. A produção seria suficiente para atender cerca de 10pc da demanda de etanol do Rio Grande do Sul, segundo estimativas da FZ Bioenergia.

O estado tem um déficit estrutural em etanol. A produção regional se manteve praticamente inexistente nos últimos anos, levando distribuidoras de combustíveis a trazer volumes de localidades próximas – principalmente de São Paulo e Mato Grosso do Sul – para atender à demanda.

O clima subtropical da região não oferece condições adequadas para o plantio e cultivo da cana-de-açúcar, por isso a produção da usina utilizará como matéria-prima culturas de inverno, como milho, trigo, cevada, triticale e sorgo.

Além de produzir etanol, a usina de Viadutos processará 100.000 t/ano de grãos secos de destilaria (DDG, na sigla em inglês) e 5.400 t/ano de óleos. Também gerará 25.000 MWh/ano para serem vendidos de volta à rede.

A planta é um dos muitos projetos de etanol à base de culturas amiláceas e não de cana-de-açúcar esperados no estado, todos em diferentes estágios de desenvolvimento.

O crescente investimento em biocombustíveis no Rio Grande do Sul está diretamente relacionado ao programa Pró-Etanol RS, lei promovida pelo governo do estado em 2021 para impulsionar o desenvolvimento da produção regional do produto.

A medida concede incentivos fiscais aos produtores, além de proporcionar benefícios fiscais para aquisição de máquinas e equipamentos.

Por Vinicius Damazio

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18/12/25

Viewpoint: EU ethanol supported by mandates in 2026

London, 18 December (Argus) — Ethanol prices in Europe look to be well supported in 2026, and demand for higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions saving product is expected to grow. This comes as the EU's updated Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) is rolled out in more member states, and supply looks to be shortening in a market that has historically been well balanced. The Netherlands will transition to a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-saving mandate under its transposition of RED III in January. This means an end to double counting of ethanol produced from advanced feedstocks toward national mandates. Germany, another major European market, is also set to remove double counting for advanced biofuels. This being the case, demand will rise for crop-based ethanol, a staple of gasoline blending in Europe, especially for material with higher GHG savings. This has coalesced in increased interest in the Argus -assessed average 75pc GHG savings crop-based ethanol in recent weeks, with a first spot trade made on the Argus Open Markets (AOM) trade initiation platform on 16 December. Trading on these standards is the projected approach of obligated parties in some key markets as they seek to fulfil their new, higher GHG emissions savings mandates in the most economical way possible. In the year to 1 December, Argus has assessed even higher GHG savings — minimum 90pc — crop-based ethanol at an average discount of just under €180/m³ to RED Netherlands waste-based ethanol. Since the launch of the Argus ' RED Germany waste-based ethanol assessment in June, again to 1 December, the discount for high GHG savings crop-based ethanol has averaged just over €176/m³. These spreads may narrow as the projected market dynamics unfold. Supply crunch A supply gap has opened in Europe since the signing of the UK-US trade agreement in May. EU imports of UK undenatured ethanol have since collapsed, down by around 56pc on the year in May-September according to Eurostat data. The deal saw the UK remove all import tariffs on up to 1.4bn l/yr of US ethanol, which led directly to UK producer Vivergo shutting its 416mn l/yr Saltend plant in August . The EU's imports of US undenatured ethanol are also down on the year, by nearly 13pc in May-September, based on Eurostat data, as US ethanol flows are diverted to the UK . In the Netherlands, imports have been made permanently more expensive by the government ruling in October that only undenatured ethanol would be eligible for compliance under the national annual renewable energy obligation in transport. This amendment to its EU RED III transposition package means that essentially all imports of fuel grade ethanol for use in the country will be subject to the maximum import tariff of €192/m³, and not the €102/m³ tariff for denatured ethanol. These developments supported ethanol prices near two-year highs in October, and whether they stay elevated depends on imports arriving from other suppliers like the US or Brazil. EU imports of undenatured ethanol from the UK and the US between May and September were down by 44pc, or 72,300t, on the same period in 2024. Stock levels in Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) ports were low for much of the third and fourth quarters of 2025. The US' production capacity of 52.4mn t/yr means it remains a likely candidate to fill the EU's supply gap, but this depends on demand in the UK and the prices buyers are willing to pay there. Alternatively, Brazil may be able to fill the void with production capacity of more than 78.1mn t/yr. The Mercosur-EU trade deal is likely to be signed soon and the terms would effectively open the arbitrage window permanently for ethanol producers in Brazil to send material to Europe. But implementation of the agreement could take several years. By Toby Shay Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Viewpoint: Dutch ticket move to help low-emission fuels

17/12/25

Viewpoint: Dutch ticket move to help low-emission fuels

London, 17 December (Argus) — A change in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) is pushing the Netherlands, a key renewable fuel ticket market in Europe, to pivot from compliance based on energy share to greenhouse gas (GHG) savings, and should benefit fuels with higher emission savings. The Netherlands will switch to GHG-based ERE tickets on 1 January 2026. The mandate will apply retroactively if the legislation is passed beyond that date. The move more closely aligns Dutch compliance with Germany's THG quota and accelerates a broader shift to reward fuels with high greenhouse gas (GHG) savings, as well as RED Annex IX Part A feedstock status, positioning advanced Fame, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and biomethane as front-runners. RED III's overall 2030 target gives EU member states the option to reduce their GHGs by 14.5pc, or to have a 29pc renewable energy share in their overall fuel mix. This is a significant step-up from RED II, which only required states to have 14pc renewable energy in their mix by 2030. Most major states incentivise the uptake of RED targets through the use of renewable fuel ticket systems. Tickets are used by companies supplying liquid or gaseous fossil fuels in the country and are obligated to pay excise duty or energy tax on fuels. They can be traded to meet obligations and are primarily generated via the blending of renewable fuels into fossil fuels, with additional sources of tickets including electricity used to charge e-vehicles. The Dutch change will benefit fuels with higher emissions savings and move away from a more simplistic approach where one HBE ticket is equal to 1 GJ of energy use, with multipliers available based on feedstock type. The current four HBE categories will expand to 16 types of ERE tickets , defined by transport sector — land, inland waterways and maritime — as well as feedstock. An HBE-to-ERE ratio of 1:46, as per the Dutch Emissions Authority's (NEa) guidance, has already begun to guide transitional pricing. All 2025 HBEs must be submitted by 30 April, after which any non-redeemed HBEs will be converted into EREs, subject to a legal cap on the amount that can be carried from year to year. Premiums for RED Annex IX Part A fuels should grow as demand for corresponding ERE-Gs does the same. But ERE-B values — comprising fuels from RED Annex IX Part B feedstocks — will be affected by a mismatch between RED III vs FuelEU Maritime rules . Shipping mismatch Under FuelEU, a separate legislation from RED III, Part B fuels remain eligible, whereas the domestic transposition of RED III means EREs count the same as using fossil fuel for only the maritime obligation. Shipping vessels are likely to either bunker elsewhere, or opt for Part A fuels that can meet both mandates. Maritime suppliers can source up to 0.9pc of their mix from road and inland waterways, preserving a narrow role for Part B fuels via cross-sector ERE flows. But EREs from shipping cannot be used by land suppliers. Aviation fuel blending will no longer generate Dutch tickets, removing a source of Part B tickets, as the bio-component of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has mostly been produced from used cooking oil. Overall, liquidity in the Netherlands will fragment by sector — LREs for land, BREs for inland shipping and ZREs for maritime shipping — all taking a Dutch acronym. Across the EU, GHG-based transport fuel mandates with tight feedstock caps should tighten supply of Part A fuels and renewable fuels from non-biological origin (RFNBOs), while remaining energy-based systems may lean on conventional and Part B biofuels. The Dutch-German axis, as the largest GHG-based ticket markets, may increasingly anchor to Part A fuel tickets. Advanced biofuel suppliers will be monitoring which market provides better ticket value for their fuel at a given time. France also plans to replace its energy-based TIRUERT tickets with GHG-based IRICCs in 2027 . Outside the RED III remit, the UK is consulting on whether to follow suit as it updates its RTFO scheme; consultation updates are expected in early 2026, and any resulting changes are expected in 2027. By Madeleine Jenkins Fuel ticket systems in Europe GHG-based renewable fuel ticket systems Germany – THG (€/t CO₂e) Austria - THG (€/t CO₂e) Netherlands – ERE (€/kg CO₂e) Energy-based renewable fuel ticket systems Belgium – HEE (€/megajoule) Ireland – RTFO (€/megajoule) Italy – CIC (€/10 Gcal) France - TIRUERT (€/m3, €/MWh) Spain – CCRs (€/toe) Portugal – TbD (€/toe) Volumetric-based renewable fuel ticket systems UK – RTFO (£/litre) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EcoCeres exports first SAF output from Malaysia's Johor

17/12/25

EcoCeres exports first SAF output from Malaysia's Johor

Singapore, 17 December (Argus) — Hong Kong-based biofuels producer EcoCeres has exported the first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) volumes produced at its new hydrotreated biofuels plant in Johor, Malaysia, according to a company LinkedIn post and company sources. EcoCeres exported 10,000t of SAF last week, a company source said. The cargo was purchased by Mitsui Energy Trading Singapore (Mets), a subsidiary of Mitsui, and was loaded on a vessel that sailed from Tanjung Langsat and is bound for Europe, EcoCeres said in its LinkedIn post. The Medium Range vessel Stolt Glory loaded 10,000t of SAF from Tanjung Langsat on 5 December, and is due to reach Rotterdam in mid-January, according to Kpler data. But another company source declined to confirm if this was EcoCeres' cargo. The biofuels producer previously produced its first on-specification SAF volumes at Johor in October . The plant, which can produce a maximum of 420,000 t/year of SAF and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), is now running at full rates, a company source said. The Argus fob ARA SAF price fell to nearly four-month lows of $2,247/t on 3 December, but has since risen slightly to $2,281/t as of 16 December. The decline was likely on the back of a lack of urgency among EU suppliers to fulfill mandates at the start of the new obligation year, although some volumes were traded this week , possibly because buyers were locking in deals in advance. EcoCeres also operates another 350,000 t/yr SAF and HVO plant in Jiangsu, China. By Sarah Giam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil's 2025-26 soy planting at 94.1pc

16/12/25

Brazil's 2025-26 soy planting at 94.1pc

Sao Paulo, 16 December (Argus) — Brazil's 2025-26 soybean planting advanced to 94.1pc of the expected area in the week ended 13 December, according to national supply company Conab. Planting advanced by 3.8 percentage points from the week prior. The 2024-25 sowing was 96.8pc complete at this time in 2024. The five-year average for the period is 90.6pc. Sowing activities have finished in central-western Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, southeastern Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, and southern Parana states. Summer corn Planting for the 2025-26 first corn crop reached 77.5pc of Brazil's expected area, up by 6.2 percentage points on the week, according to Conab. That is slightly ahead of the 75pc planted at this time last year for the 2024-25 cycle. This season's progress is also ahead of the 70.3pc five-year average for the period. Parana and Sao Paulo have already finished planting. Cotton Planting activities for the 2025-26 cotton crop reached 10.1pc completion in the week ended 13 December, according to Conab. Activities advanced by 4.8 percentage points from the previous week. Northeastern Maranhao is the only state where activities have not started. Sowing nationwide is slightly above the five-year average for the period of 5.8pc, but below the 12.2pc pace in the same week last season. Wheat The 2025 wheat harvest advanced by 1.7 percentage points to 99.7pc of the area sowed nationwide in the week ended 13 December. The 2024 crop was 100pc harvested at this time a year ago. This season's progress is slightly ahead of the 98.7pc five-year average for the week. By Bruno Castro Planting progress % State 2025 2024 Five-year average 13 Dec 6 Dec 14 Dec Soybean crop, 2025-26 Tocantins 98.0 93.0 99.0 89.8 Maranhao 42.0 38.0 59.0 51.4 Piaui 88.0 78.0 94.0 76.2 Bahia 97.0 94.0 97.0 87.2 Mato Grosso 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.7 Mato Grosso do Sul 100.0 99.0 100.0 98.8 Goias 97.0 92.0 99.3 92.4 Minas Gerais 100.0 98.2 100.0 94.6 Sao Paulo 100.0 100.0 100.0 98.8 Parana 100.0 97.0 100.0 98.0 Santa Catarina 86.0 79.0 91.0 79.9 Rio Grande do Sul 81.0 69.0 91.0 70.6 Total 94.1 90.3 96.8 90.6 Summer corn crop, 2025-26 Maranhao 6.0 4.0 5.0 5.6 Piaui 8.0 4.0 10.0 5.2 Bahia 86.0 71.0 63.0 58.0 Goias 80.0 70.0 99.0 64.4 Minas Gerais 97.0 85.2 100.0 89.8 Sao Paulo 100.0 90.0 100.0 92.2 Parana 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.6 Santa Catarina 99.7 98.9 100.0 98.4 Rio Grande do Sul 90.0 87.0 88.0 86.0 Total 77.5 71.3 75.0 70.3 Cotton crop, 2025-26 Maranhao 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 Piaui 5.0 0.0 8.0 1.0 Bahia 32.0 20.0 43.0 21.6 Mato Grosso 2.4 0.8 2.5 0.9 Mato Grosso do Sul 22.0 10.0 45.0 16.6 Goias 45.0 5.0 54.0 21.2 Minas Gerais 33.0 16.0 38.0 13.4 Total 10.1 5.3 12.2 5.8 — Conab Harvesting progress % State 2025 2024 Five-year average 13 Dec 6 Dec 14 Dec Wheat crop, 2025 Goias 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Minas Gerais 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Bahia 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Rio Grande do Sul 100.0 99.0 100.0 96.2 Parana 100.0 99.0 100.0 99.6 Santa Catarina 93.0 74.0 100.0 85.0 Sao Paulo 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Mato Grosso do Sul 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Total 99.7 98.0 100.0 98.7 — Conab Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU eases ICE phase-out with 2035 CO2 car target: Update

16/12/25

EU eases ICE phase-out with 2035 CO2 car target: Update

Adds details on credits, transport commissioner comment in paragraphs 4-6 Brussels, 16 December (Argus) — The European Commission has proposed a new 90pc cut in car fleet emissions by 2035, replacing the previously agreed 100pc target that would have effectively phased out the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from that date The plan would allow some new ICE vehicles to remain on sale beyond 2035, alongside plug-in hybrids, range extenders and mild hybrids, as well as electric and hydrogen cars. The remaining 10pc of emissions would need to be offset through low-carbon steel, e-fuels or biofuels, according to the commission. The proposals need to be adopted by a majority in the European Parliament and among EU states. Automakers could also "bank and borrow" credits between 2030-32 to help meet the existing 2030 target of a 55pc cut from 2021 levels. Under the new proposals, manufacturers using these flexibilities would only need to achieve a 40pc fleet-average reduction, down from a previously planned 50pc. The commission indicated that credits for greenhouse gas (GHG) savings from e-fuels and biofuels can compensate up to 3pc of manufacturers' reference targets for 2035 and low-carbon steel credits can compensate for a further 7pc. Transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the credit system will boost uptake of sustainable fuels. "This is a clear signal than other technologies than battery electric vehicles (BEV) can be put on the market after 2035," said Tzitzikostas. Expanded carbon-neutral criteria would allow sustainable biofuels to help meet the targets that currently require 0g/km from 2035. EU renewable ethanol group ePure said emissions from ethanol were 79pc lower than fossil fuels in 2024, in line with previous years. The European Biodiesel Board reported savings of 77-81pc for biodiesel, using the official fossil fuel comparator of 94g of CO2e/MJ. German MEP Peter Liese criticised the original ICE ban, but said industry problems stem from market shifts, not from Brussels. "The industry must stop shifting the blame for its own mistakes and for market developments, for example in China, onto Brussels," he said, adding that he will push for green steel recognition before 2035. By Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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