Government approves gasoline with 32% ethanol

The National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE) approved on Tuesday (14) the increase in the mandatory blend of anhydrous ethanol in gasoline, which goes from 30% to 32%. The measure is in force for 180 days, with the possibility of an extension for the same period.

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According to the federal government, the decision seeks to reduce dependence on imported gasoline, expand the share of biofuels in the Brazilian energy matrix and help contain fuel prices in the face of the volatility of the international oil market, aggravated by the conflict in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) also says that the adoption of the so-called E32 gasoline could reduce the need to import the fuel by about 500 million liters per month, a volume considered sufficient to make Brazil self-sufficient in supply.

The measure is part of the Fuel of the Future policy, a program created to encourage renewable fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector.

According to the CNPE, Tests did not point to problems

The CNPE states that the new mixture was subjected to tests of performance, drivability, cold start, consumption and emissions, both in the laboratory and in real conditions of use.

The council also reinforces its statement, saying that the results showed behavior equivalent to that of gasoline with lower ethanol content, with no relevant impacts on the operation of vehicles, including models equipped with exclusively gasoline engines (not flex).

Criticism of the decision

Despite the government’s approval, the increase in the mandatory ethanol blend to 32% faces resistance from experts. Our publisher, Boris Feldman, has already classified that there are “four lies” about the positive view of the state.

According to Feldman, the main issue is that there would not be enough technical evidence to support the increase, despite the fact that the Fuel of the Future Law allows the increase of the mixture to up to 35% as long as its feasibility is proven.

The journalist also states that the tests presented by the government would not have been carried out specifically to validate gasoline with 32% ethanol. According to him, the tests carried out previously used this concentration only as a margin of tolerance when the country raised the mixture from 27% to 30%, and not as the main object of homologation.

Another challenge concerns the scope of the evaluations. In Feldman’s view, the official tests analyze only aspects such as drivability, idling, acceleration and starting, without verifying the durability of the engines and the compatibility of components continuously exposed to the highest ethanol content, a fuel that absorbs moisture and can favor corrosion processes.

The journalist also cites statements by Abraciclo, an association that represents motorcycle manufacturers. According to him, the entity pointed out difficulties in cold start and failures in resuming acceleration on motorcycles during previous evaluations, problems that could compromise the safety of motorcyclists. The government, says Feldman, did not consider these observations.

Finally, Boris Feldman criticizes the economic argument of the measure. According to him, the increase in ethanol content tends to increase fuel consumption and was not accompanied by the reduction in the price of gasoline previously promised by the government, which, in his assessment, ends up increasing costs for the consumer.

Other decisions

In addition to the approval of E32 gasoline, the CNPE also published two new resolutions:

• Reinforcement of the actions of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) in the fight against fraud and adulteration of fuels;

• Repeal of a resolution on the commercialization and voluntary use of biodiesel, whose content is now incorporated into Law No. 14,993/2024.

The increase in ethanol content was already expected. The proposal had been announced by the government in June, after a meeting between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and representatives of the sugar-energy sector. In June 2025, the mandatory blend had already been raised from 27.5% to 30%. This time, however, the percentage of biodiesel in diesel was maintained, without changes.