巴西绿色燃料加速落地，中资物流与设备商面临窗口期

Guilherme Sampaio Ana Paula Paiva/Valor Geopolitical conflicts, market pressure to decarbonize, and falling costs for new technologies have accelerated the use of green fuels in road, maritime, and air transport. In road transportation, alternatives such as natural gas, biodiesel, and electrification are becoming increasingly attractive economically. In aviation, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the industry’s bet for the future, and its use will become mandatory in Brazil next year. Meanwhile, even stricter global rules to reduce shipping emissions are under discussion. For each of the three modes, Valor spoke with companies and analysts about the potential and challenges of replacing fossil fuels, which will be examined in a series of articles. Whether transportation is by land, air, or sea, experts note that the issue is increasingly moving beyond sustainability teams and becoming part of business strategies to reassess costs, mitigate risks, and meet regulatory and customer requirements. In ground transportation, the focus of the first article in the series, freight carriers remain far from being able to replace diesel as their primary fuel. However, alternatives such as electric vehicles and natural-gas truck corridors are being adopted to reduce costs. Passenger transportation companies, meanwhile, have been using biofuels since mid-2005, and the model is expected to gain momentum under Brazil’s tax reform, which will reward emissions-reduction initiatives with tax credits. JSL, Brazil’s largest freight carrier, has been using electric vehicles in major urban centers and testing trucks powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) and biomethane on specific longer routes, particularly the corridor between inland São Paulo and the Santos coastal region, according to Guilherme Sampaio, president of the logistics company. The fuel is already being used in automotive industry projects, and some trials are underway in pulp transportation, he adds. “Several factors are driving these initiatives. The first is fluctuations in diesel prices. We are in a six-month period when this has become very clear. The second is biomethane production capacity, which did not previously exist in Brazil. The sugarcane industry is investing heavily. In addition, infrastructure is being built with incentives from the São Paulo state government and private investment in fueling facilities,” Sampaio says. Another relevant factor is technological progress, which has brought the performance of natural-gas trucks close to that of diesel vehicles, Sampaio notes. Acquisition costs have also become competitive. “The only difference is that the resale market for diesel trucks is much larger than for natural-gas or electric trucks. Depreciation costs are therefore higher, and that needs to be factored into the price.” Operating costs are 10% to 20% lower when a vehicle runs on CNG. The savings are greater with biomethane when it is produced in-house. At JSL, discussions center on landfill logistics, with the biomethane produced at the sites used to fuel the trucks. Freight carrier Jomed, which plans to expand its natural-gas fleet, has invested not only in vehicles but also in biomethane fueling infrastructure. By the end of this year, the company plans to offer a “green route” between São Paulo and Espírito Santo, with trucks fueled entirely by biomethane from landfills. The station in São Paulo is already operating, while another is expected to open in Cariacica, Espírito Santo, in the coming months. Of the company’s current fleet of 500 vehicles, 40 run on natural gas. Two more trucks already on order will arrive in the second half of the year, and another batch is expected to be purchased by early 2027, according to Jomed Manager Carlos Ferreira. “The goal is to have at least 150 by 2030.” “The war has signaled that this is the time to accelerate the energy transition by replacing diesel-powered trucks. The situation is forcing us to speed up a transition that had previously been expected to take place over three years.” In addition to soaring oil prices, Ferreira cites customer demand as an incentive for the shift, as clients seek to incorporate emissions-reduction indicators into their own decarbonization targets. The main obstacle to expanding the model to other routes across Brazil is the availability of biomethane fueling infrastructure, he says. “In major urban centers, biomethane can be added to the natural-gas network. Outside those centers, however, I can transport it only by tanker truck, and depending on the distance, the cost becomes prohibitive.” The company expects its initial investment in new vehicles and fueling stations to pay for itself within four years through lower operating costs. Maria Fernanda Hijjar Divulgação Electric vehicles have also proved economically advantageous, but only on shorter routes and when kept in nearly continuous use, according to Maria Fernanda Hijjar, managing partner at consulting firm Ilos. “Electric trucks are viable over distances of 200 to 300 kilometers and in continuous operations along established circuits. In those cases, electric trucks significantly reduce costs compared with diesel vehicles,” she says. “A few years ago, electric vehicles were almost entirely a marketing exercise. Today, we are seeing companies actually reduce costs and use them regardless of the emissions benefits—although emissions have obviously improved as well. Companies are now making the switch because they see opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and lower the risk of fuel shortages,” Hijjar adds. In intercity bus transportation, biofuel use gained momentum with the regulations of the Vehicle Air Pollution Control Program (Proconve), whose eighth phase for buses took effect in 2022. According to Leticia Pineschi, managing director of the Brazilian Association of Interstate Bus Operators (Abrati), the industry is monitoring new alternatives in addition to its ongoing emissions-reduction efforts. Green hydrogen is the leading prospect for the future, but fueling infrastructure remains the biggest obstacle, particularly for medium- and long-distance routes. The same challenge also affects electrification. In 2025, the maximum biodiesel blend was raised to 15%, and studies are underway to increase the limit and develop vehicles capable of running on 100% biofuel. Among the companies making progress in this area is Águia Branca. According to Renan Chieppe, vice president of its passenger transportation division, 21% of its fleet already uses Euro 6 technology under Proconve P8, reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 80% and particulate matter emissions by 50% compared with Euro 5. The entire fleet also runs on B15 diesel. Pineschi says Brazil’s tax reform should also encourage biofuel use by granting credits to companies that reduce emissions. The industry still faces difficulties in measuring the fleet’s use of these fuels, she notes, prompting Abrati members to prepare social reports to track the indicators. “Remaining dependent on fossil fuels is not viable over the medium term. The regions that supply the world are engulfed in conflict. The more we reduce that dependence, the better. This is important not only for the environment but also financially,” Pineschi says. This is the first in a series of articles about the use of green fuels in transportation. Translation: Todd Harkin