Citation :

Antonio Otto Neves Filho, Ricardo Rodrigues Magalhães, Carlos Eduardo Castilla Álvarez, Ezequiel Azarias Manjate, "Impacts of RenovaBio and SARS-CoV-2 on Biofuels Production, Fuel Prices, and Economic Performance in Brazil," International Journal of Recent Engineering Science (IJRES), vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 9-20, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23497157/IJRES-V13I2P102

Abstract

The transportation sector in Brazil consumes over one-third of the national energy matrix, which makes biofuels critical for diversifying energy sources and reducing environmental impacts from fossil fuels. Proálcool started in 1975, and the National Biodiesel Production and Use Program (PNPB) began in 2004. These historical programs prepared the ground for biofuel production. Then, RenovaBio arrived in December 2016 as a more recent policy. When the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic arrived in March 2020, fuel supply and demand were significantly disrupted. This study examines production trends for ethanol (both anhydrous and hydrous) and biodiesel from 2012 to 2021, also using GDP data, to evaluate RenovaBio’s role across three periods. Those periods are pre-pandemic (2012 to 2019), acute pandemic (2020), and post-acute (2021). The data come from the ANP (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis) and the World Bank. The results show that the pandemic’s negative effects largely outweighed any benefits from RenovaBio, although the program reduced some of the harm. Meanwhile, production of hydrated ethanol contracted, while production of anhydrous ethanol and biodiesel remained stable, even as fuel price increases favored gasoline. In 2021, there was a 3% reduction in the required biodiesel blend, slowing growth without affecting production, which remained close to previous years. Overall, these findings show the importance of policies like RenovaBio for meeting climate targets and the Sustainable Development Goals, while also pointing to the need for bigger changes to make biofuels more competitive and encourage continued investment.

Keywords

Biofuels Production, Covid-19, Energy Policy, RenovaBio, Sustainable Development Goals.

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