Sugar and bioethanol trading company Copersucar on Monday (13 July) said the company and its partners successfully completed a bioethanol bunkering operation for the CMA CGM IRON , the first 13,000 TEU tri-fuel certified engine containership, at the Port of Santos on 12 July. The partners are CMA CGM Group, AGEO Terminais, the largest liquid bulk storage operator at the Port of Santos; Santos Brasil, the biggest container terminal in Brazil; and Bunker Holding subsidiary Bunker One. Copersucar said the operation represents a major milestone for the decarbonisation of maritime transport, positions Brazil among the countries capable of carrying out this type of bunkering operation, and reinforces bioethanol as a readily available solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector. The bioethanol supplied by Copersucar benefits from a certified supply chain. Sugarcane expansion takes place mainly on degraded pastureland, while Brazil’s RenovaBio program establishes stringent sustainability and zero-deforestation requirements. The bunkering required logistical and operational coordination among multiple stakeholders across the value chain, involving the transport of bioethanol to the Port of Santos, its storage in dedicated infrastructure, and its transfer to the vessel via a specialized barge. “The operation provides practical evidence that bioethanol offers the attributes needed to accelerate the decarbonisation of maritime transport,” the company said. Beyond this first demonstration, the Port of Santos and Santos Brasil container terminal are positioning themselves and Brazil as a future low-carbon marine fuels hub for South America. As the continent’s largest port and a major gateway for global trade, Santos has the potential to connect Brazil’s renewable energy resources with international shipping demand. The CMA CGM IRON, delivered in 2025, is the Group’s first vessel in a series of twelve 13,000 TEU containerships, equipped with the world’s fi