Panamanian Maritime Sector Leaders Learn About Sustainable Marine Fuel In Illinois, Texas

Earlier this month, the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) hosted a high-level delegation of senior Panamanian governmental and maritime sector leaders to examine how U.S. bioethanol can serve as a feedstock for sustainable marine fuel (SMF), while also informing Panama's efforts on maritime decarbonization and supporting its broader national energy transition objectives.

USGBC Latin America (LTA) Regional Ethanol Strategy Lead Federico Salcedo, USGBC LTA Regional Ethanol Consultant Marcelo Velazquez and USGBC Manager of Global Ethanol Programs Emma Freebairn escorted the team during its visits to Illinois and Texas.

"Panama holds a strategic role in global shipping as steward of the Panama Canal and as a host of one of the world's largest ship registries. As the maritime sector advances toward its decarbonization goals under the International Maritime Organization's greenhouse gas strategy, Panama is well positioned to evaluate technically and commercially viable low-carbon marine fuel options," Salcedo said.

"This program consolidated technical knowledge, strengthened institutional relationships and provided Panamanian officials with firsthand evidence and contacts to support maritime decarbonization while building confidence in ethanol as a viable low-carbon marine fuel."

After arriving in Chicago, the group visited the University of Illinois-Chicago's Energy Resources Center, where they met with Dr. Steffen Mueller and representatives from Growth Energy, a USGBC member, to discuss the U.S. ethanol industry, market developments and the role of ethanol in emerging low-carbon fuel pathways and agricultural sustainability. Later, Argonne National Laboratory welcomed the team for an overview of the latest research being conducted in the biofuels sector, including the GREET model.

Marquis Energy, a USGBC member, offered a tour of its ethanol plant in Hennepin the next day for a closer look at the ethanol production process, carbon capture techniques and the ethanol export value chain. Finally, USGBC Past Chairman Mark Wilson met the group at his farm in Toulon to observe his corn crop and learn about the climate-smart agricultural practices used by U.S. farmers.

In Houston, the team visited Advario and Eco-Energy, a USGBC member, for a tour of its liquid bulk storage facilities and export terminal to better understand the export logistics of U.S. biofuels. Next, Everllence showcased its line of engines and how they are ready for large-scale SMF adoption.

Finally, a meeting with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) completed participants' understanding of the U.S. biofuels export chain by providing a perspective on the safety measures and regulations of U.S. shipping, as well as bunkering standards and risk management for ethanol as a marine fuel.

"Bioethanol offers a readily available, scalable pathway to lower the carbon intensity of marine fuels, both through its potential direct use and as a renewable feedstock for sustainable marine fuel production. U.S. ethanol continues to achieve reductions in lifecycle carbon intensity through advances in agricultural practices, production efficiency, renewable energy and carbon capture, with those benefits quantified through robust lifecycle assessment tools like the GREET model," Salcedo said.

"As the world's largest ethanol producer, with established Gulf Coast export infrastructure, the U.S. is well positioned to supply ethanol and ethanol-based marine fuels to Panama's strategic maritime and bunkering sector, including vessels transiting the Panama Canal, while supporting the development of lower-carbon marine fuel markets across the broader Latin American and Caribbean region."

Learn more about the Council's work in ethanol on the organization's website.