The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has released a report exploring the potential of Brazilian ports to become renewable marine fuel bunkering hubs.
Building on Brazil’s renewable energy resources and strategic geographic location, the study “The potential of Brazilian ports as renewable marine fuel bunkering hubs” assessed the country’s potential to become a global leader in supplying renewable marine fuels to the international shipping sector.
The analysis explores the readiness of Brazilian ports to support the production, bunkering and deployment of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives, such as renewable ammonia and renewable methanol, laying the groundwork for establishing green shipping corridors.
Key findings of the report include:
- Identification of six candidate ports: Three public ports (Santos, Rio Grande, and Itaqui) and three private ports (Porto do Açu, Pecém, and Navegantes) could serve as potential renewable marine fuel bunkering hubs. Public ports generally scored higher in infrastructure, strategic location, and connectivity.
- High port readiness: Santos, Latin America’s largest port, ranked high in four out of five readiness criteria, while Porto do Açu and Itaqui demonstrated strong performance across all categories except access to offshore wind energy. All six candidates received readiness scores between 3.5 and 4.4 (on a 1–5 scale).
- Feasibility of renewable fuel usage on major shipping routes: Among 10 sample trade routes connecting these ports to key domestic and international markets, five could be completed with renewable liquid hydrogen (RE-LH2) in fuel cells without refueling. All routes are feasible using renewable ammonia (RE-NH3) and renewable methanol (RE-MeOH) in internal combustion engines, eliminating the need for mid-route refueling.
- Estimated fuel and energy demand: To support zero-emission shipping on these routes, between 1,785 and 1,911 tonnes of renewable hydrogen are required—equivalent to a renewable electricity demand of 82 to 92 GWh. For context, this represents just 0.1% of the annual output of Itaipu, Brazil’s largest hydroelectric power plant, and approximately 0.2% of Brazil’s planned renewable hydrogen production.
- Current ship traffic emissions: In 2023 alone, vessels operating on these sample routes are estimated to have consumed over 4,449 tonnes of fuel and emitted approximately 13,862 tonnes of CO₂ per trip. Operational efficiency varied by route, indicating opportunities to prioritize the most efficient routes for early deployment of zero-emission vessels.
There are many factors to consider when evaluating a port’s readiness to develop bunkering capability for renewable marine fuel. After consulting experts from the maritime and ports industry, ICCT decided on five criteria for the assessment when screening initial port candidates:
- Existing use of and potential access to renewable energy
- Port capacity
- Port infrastructure
- Strategic location and connectivity
- Commitment to decarbonization
ICCT first screened ports based on a multifactor analytical framework for port readiness and then quantified potential bunkering demand for renewable marine fuels at these ports and identified six candidate ports: three public (Santos, Itaqui, and Rio Grande) and three private (Porto do Açu, Pecem, and Navegantes) for further assessment.
Santos, the largest port in Latin America, ranked high in four out of the five criteria assessed for readiness, though it had only a moderate level of commitment to decarbonization due to a lack of ongoing or planned offshore wind projects.
Additionally, Porto do Açu and Itaqui scored high on all criteria except for access to potential offshore wind energy. Public ports generally scored higher than private ports, especially for their infrastructure, strategic location, and connectivity. On a scale of 1 to 5, the six candidates chosen for further assessment had weighted scores that ranged from 3.5 to 4.4.
Based on 2023 ship traffic, ICCT identified 10 routes connecting the six candidates to both the domestic market and key international markets. In 2023, sample vessels on these routes were estimated to consume over 4,449 tonnes of fuel and emit approximately 13,862 tonnes of CO₂ on one trip. Operational efficiency varies by route, and routes with higher efficiency could be prioritized when deploying zero-emission vessels, considering the potential fuel consumption savings.
The researchers considered RE-LH2 (renewable liquid hydrogen), RE-NH3 (renewable ammonia), and RE-MeOH (renewable methanol) as alternative fuels that could be bunkered in these ports. While the direct utilization of RE-LH2 was found to be feasible for only half of the routes, RE-NH3 and RE-MeOH were feasible on all routes without requiring an additional refueling stop. In total, the estimation is that to replace fossil fuel consumed on the sample routes and trips, approximately 1,785–1,910 tonnes of renewable hydrogen would be needed to produce the various types of end-use renewable marine fuels, which implies demand for 82–92 GWh of renewable electricity generated by offshore wind facilities.
Furthermore, to provide context, in 2023, the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant, the largest in Brazil, generated approximately 83,000 GWh of electricity (Itaipu Binacional, 2023). Thus, the 82–92 GWh demand represents roughly 0.1% of Itaipu’s annual energy production.
Although this demand represents only 0.2% of the planned production of renewable hydrogen in Brazil, it could quickly scale up once bunkering services at ports are established. In a follow-up study, ICCT intends to quantify that scaled demand for renewable marine fuel in Brazil and explore the potential economic and climate benefits.
Nevertheless, realizing the full potential of these renewable fuel alternatives requires substantial investments and collaborative efforts from all stakeholders involved, including port authorities, shipping companies, and government agencies.
