Brazil's hydrocarbons regulator ANP has launched a 45-day public consultation on proposed changes to bunker fuel specifications, as it seeks to align national standards with the latest International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements and decarbonization targets.
The draft regulation would replace the ANP resolutions that govern marine diesel and marine fuel oil sales in Brazil and establish a framework for alternative and renewable bunker fuels. The proposal would tighten requirements for fuel quality control, certification, sampling, traceability and identification, in line with MARPOL Annex VI, the IMO rules to cut greenhouse gases.
ANP proposes classifying biodiesel, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and synthetic fuels as drop-in alternatives, allowing them to be used in place of conventional petroleum-based marine fuels without modifications to engines or bunkering infrastructure.
The regulator is also seeking to clarify which market participants may carry out fuel blending activities and would allow 100pc biodiesel sales to commercial customers for use in their own vessels.
The proposed changes reflect increasing interest in alternative marine fuels and Brazil's broader energy transition strategy. ANP would establish a pathway for experimental authorizations covering fuels not yet included in the ISO 8217 marine fuel standard, including ethanol, methanol, ammonia and hydrogen.
The draft regulation would also introduce specific rules for LNG bunker fuel. LNG bunkering operations would require prior ANP authorization, reflecting the early stage of Brazil's LNG bunkering infrastructure development.
