The Mixed Biodiesel Parliamentary Front (FPBio) evaluated this Monday (27) that a change in the composition of the ministries that make up the National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE) is favorable to the biofuel sector, which advocates an increase in the mixture in diesel and awaiting a decision on the matter in the coming days.
A decree published last Friday by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva inserted six new ministries in the CNPE, the advisory body of the Presidency of the Republic, according to a note from the Ministry of Mines and Energy released on Saturday.
Among the new participating ministries is Development, Industry, Commerce and Services and Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture, seen as favorable to biofuel.
“This government was the one who implemented the National Biodiesel Plan, and has an understanding of public policy across the board and not just the price of fuel,” FPBio executive director João Henrique Hummel told Reuters, referring to the previous administration. by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Also according to the ministry, the first meeting with the new composition of the CNPE should take place in the first week of March, when the government is expected to make a decision on the blend of biodiesel in diesel, currently at 10%.
Reuters anticipated on Friday that the CNPE meeting would take place next month, to make the new mixture valid in April.
The change in the CNPE before the definition of the mixing level also occurs amid an exchange of accusations between the industry and sectors opposed to a higher percentage of biodiesel in diesel, such as the National Transport Confederation (CNT).
The CNT stated last Friday that any increase in the biodiesel content will generate additional costs to the freight value, which will be transferred to the entire population, “translating into inflationary increases and making transport even more expensive and, consequently, products consumed and exported.
The entity also stated that, “contrary to what is propagated, the increase in the percentage of biodiesel in the mandatory mixture with diesel harms the environment, since it reduces the energy efficiency of engines, increasing consumption”.
In a note this Monday, associations of producers such as Abiove, Aprobio and Ubrabio repudiated the CNT’s “strategy of deceiving public opinion”, reinforcing that there is a consensus that the use of biodiesel reduces emissions of particulates, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, reducing air pollution.
According to FPBio, the national biodiesel plan “generates many other benefits that positively impact inflation (with a reduction in the price of meat), protein exports, the environment, public health (less emissions) and support for the permanence of small rural producers in the countryside – who are part of the biodiesel production chain”.
The FPBio also said that the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, and of Agrarian Development, Paulo Teixeira, “were emphatic in defending the increase in the blend of biodiesel as it brings significant benefits to society, whether economic, social or public health”.
Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who is also Development Minister, said on Friday that the government intends to increase the percentage of biodiesel blended into diesel, but did not give details. The mix already reached 13% in Brazil before being reduced by the previous government, which cited price issues.
The ministries of Indigenous Peoples, Planning and Budget were also added as members of the CNPE; of Ports and Airports and Cities. The Institutional Security Office of the Presidency of the Republic, the Civil House, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Transport, Science and Technology, Environment and Regional Integration and Development, as well as the president of the Energy Research Company (EPE) remained.
In a recent report, the consultancy and risk management company hEDGEpoint Global Markets highlighted that, although the Brazilian production of soy, the main raw material for biodiesel, “seems enormous at first”, above 150 million tons, “even so there may not be enough soybean oil for a return to B15 (15% blend)”.
Soybean oil accounted for more than 65% of biodiesel production in Brazil in 2022.
According to the analysis company, part of the industry is advocating gradual growth throughout the year, starting with B12 and reaching B15 next year, to avoid any problems.
Source: CNN Brasil
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