USGBC Promotes Ethanol as Maritime Fuel in Panama

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA: A team from the US Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) and ethanol industry stakeholders participated in Maritime Week Americas 2026 in May, discussing the possibilities of ethanol as a maritime fuel solution.  The USGBC team of Ankit Chandra, senior manager of global ethanol export development, and Federico Salcedo, Latin America ethanol strategy lead, were joined by leaders from Growth Energy, Marquis Energy and POET. 

“Ethanol is already making great strides in reducing the carbon impact of other transportation sectors like on-road and aviation, and maritime shipping represents the next step in growing ethanol’s profile as a dependable, affordable and available fuel supply,” Chandra said.  The delegation toured the Panama Canal and met with local authorities in maritime transit, including the Panama Maritime Chamber, the Panamanian Ministry of the Environment and the Latin America Regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC).  The next day, the Council co-hosted with Growth Energy a workshop focused on ethanol’s applications in marine fuel and how US producers can supply the shipping industry. 

Specific seminar sessions included deep dives into corn production scales, the readiness of current fleets to incorporate ethanol as a fuel source and the carbon reduction capabilities of ethanol in marine fuel.  “Panama is a hub for international shipping and gathering vital industry leaders from the public and private sectors there was the perfect opportunity to share US producers’ capabilities to sustainably grow the inputs needed to meet maritime fuel demand,” Chandra said. “Many major logistics companies have already shown strong interest in transitioning their fuel supplies to less carbon-intensive alternatives and the Council is positioning US ethanol at the forefront of those conversations.”