THE National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE) The Brazilian government has scheduled an extraordinary meeting for Wednesday, June 24th, to evaluate increasing the mandatory blend of anhydrous ethanol in gasoline from 30% (E30) to 32% (E32), according to information gathered by Globo Rural. The proposal was added to the agenda after meetings between representatives of the sugarcane and energy sector, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira. At those meetings, leaders and businesspeople advocated for increasing the share of biofuel in the country's fuel matrix. The tests that underpinned the adoption of E30, approved last year, had already evaluated blends containing up to 32% ethanol, precisely to guarantee a safety margin for operational efficiency and vehicle performance. In recent months, the productive sector has been intensifying its defense of E32, arguing that the measure could increase ethanol consumption, strengthen the sugarcane and energy industry, and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, part of the government's technical area advocated for conducting new tests before the change. The argument was that the studies should consider even higher mixtures, closer to 34%, allowing for the assessment of potential future impacts and creating an additional safety margin.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.