Latin American countries are increasingly turning to biofuels as a reliable alternative in their energy transition policies. However, many face uncertainties due to a lack of education on ethanol blending programs. To address this, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) have partnered to train government officials and industry representatives on the benefits of ethanol and its use in gasoline blending.
The training program, which began in February 2024, launched with a virtual course attended by over 380 participants from 13 Latin American countries. The course included six modules covering topics such as biofuels and climate change, global ethanol markets, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
“The last two weeks have been very fruitful, as the program has held face-to-face workshops in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and more recently Peru. More than 160 participants from eight countries have gained a greater understanding of the topics covered in the virtual course and have learned about international experiences with ethanol blends from the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia, among other countries,” said Juan Diaz, USGC LTA regional ethanol consultant.
The recent workshop in Lima, Peru, began with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing between the Council and the Peruvian Hydrocarbons Society. This MOU aims to strengthen cooperation with a key Peruvian stakeholder and develop joint activities and technical studies to increase Peru’s ethanol blending with gasoline beyond 7.8%.
Workshop topics included guidelines for formulating public policies on biofuels, infrastructure development for liquid biofuels, global biofuel trends, and the impact of liquid biofuels on agribusiness.
“The success of this hybrid course and the in-person workshops shows the region’s interest in further advancing and deepening the use of ethanol as an effective formula for decarbonizing the transportation sector, as well as exploring new uses in PBS and bioplastics. With this program, we are strengthening a network of people and institutions committed to developing biofuels in Latin America, recognizing their positive economic, technical, and environmental impacts,” said Marri Tejada, USGC LTA regional director.
