Brazil launches feasibility tests for B20 biodiesel; plans to install the first test engine in May

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To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the vehicle department at the Mauá Institute of Technology in Brazil will begin tests in May 2026 to assess the feasibility of increasing the proportion of biodiesel in diesel from the current 15% to 20%. The testing is divided into two phases: In the first phase, a 300-hour engine bench test will be conducted on the B15 and B20 mixed fuel to evaluate the performance of the filters, injection system, etc ； In the second phase, pollutant emissions at different mixing ratios such as B7, B15, B20, and B25 will be analyzed. This systematic testing was thoroughly discussed by industry-related entities such as the Brazilian Vegetable Oil Industry Association and the Institute for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels, with the aim of paving the way for the commercial use of blended fuels above B15 (up to B20). The vehicle department at the Brazilian Institute of Mauá Technology said that researchers at the institute began testing in May 2026 to study the feasibility of increasing the proportion of biodiesel in diesel to 20%. Brazil is a leading country in producing biofuels from raw materials such as soybeans and sugarcane; currently, the required mix ratio of biodiesel in diesel is 15%, while that of ethanol in gasoline is 30%. : Since February, this has prompted South America to **call for higher mandatory blending ratios in order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and imported energy. The Brazilian Vegetable Oil Industry Association (Abiove) and the Brazilian Institute of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels plan to increase the mandatory blending ratio starting in May. In the first phase, the institute will test biodiesel blended fuels at 15% and 20% concentrations (referred to as B15 and B20 respectively), with the installation of the first engine for testing planned for May. The engine will undergo 300 hours of testing to assess filter clogging, the performance of the injection system, and to inspect the fuel injectors. The second phase of testing will also analyze the pollutants emitted by diesel fuel blended with 7% and 25% biodiesel. Tests will be conducted using B15 and B20. Besides these two fuels, we will also perform emission tests using B7 and B25; however, those are merely emission tests. Actual long-term road tests will use the B15 and B20 fuels. This is a fairly comprehensive set of tests, and all entities involved in the production and use of biodiesel have discussed it in depth. This will undoubtedly open the door to blended fuels above B15 (up to B20), offering very promising prospects for this industry.