U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, Members Meet with Stakeholders in Panama to Discuss Biofuels’ Role in Maritime Shipping

(Grain Journal) Earlier this month, the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) conducted a maritime fuels mission in Panama with a delegation of ethanol industry leaders and USGBC members including Hagan Rose of Eco-Energy, Doug Berven of POET and Mark Heckman of Edeniq.

USGBC Regional Director for Latin America (LTA) Marri Tejada, USGBC Regional Ethanol Consultant Federico Salcedo and USGBC Senior Manager of Global Ethanol Export Development Ankit Chandra represented the Council in the meetings.

“Maritime fuel could be a promising opportunity for the U.S. ethanol industry, representing the next frontier in biofuel integration,” Tejada said.

“Panama is critical to the global maritime sector and developing interest in U.S. ethanol as a marine fuel input in this strategic location will elevate and highlight its benefits to the shipping industry worldwide.”

During the visit, the delegation engaged a broad range of stakeholders, including government officials, the Panama Canal Authority, private sector operators, industry associations and members of the international maritime technical community. The mission highlighted Panama’s strategic role as a global maritime hub and a potential gateway for lower-carbon fuel solutions across international shipping lanes.

A key objective was assessing the feasibility of integrating ethanol into Panama’s maritime fuel sector, aligned with the country’s decarbonization roadmap and the Canal’s evolving fuel strategy. The team evaluated regulatory, commercial and infrastructure considerations, gauging the appetite among government, industry and technical stakeholders for ethanol as a clean marine fuel. The visit also strengthened the Council’s long-standing relationships in the region, laying the groundwork for continued collaboration.

“All parties left the meetings feeling positive, having deepened relationships and positioned U.S. ethanol as a serious, scalable option for Panama’s ongoing maritime transition discussions,” Chandra said.

Excerpt from World Grain: A group of Panamanian maritime shipping stakeholders recently (August 2026) visited Illinois and Texas for an overview of US ethanol production and capability in sustainable marine fuel (SMF).

The high-level delegation was hosted by the US Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), including Federico Salcedo, Latin America (LTA) regional ethanol strategy lead; Marcelo Velazquez, LTA regional ethanol consultant; and Emma Freebairn, manager of global ethanol programs.

“Panama holds a strategic role in global shipping as steward of the Panama Canal and as a host of one of the world’s largest ship registries,” Salcedo said. “As the maritime sector advances toward its decarbonization goals under the International Maritime Organization’s greenhouse gas strategy, Panama is well positioned to evaluate technically and commercially viable low-carbon marine fuel options.

“This program consolidated technical knowledge, strengthened institutional relationships and provided Panamanian officials with firsthand evidence and contacts to support maritime decarbonization while building confidence in ethanol as a viable low-carbon marine fuel.”

After arriving in Chicago, the group visited the University of Illinois-Chicago's Energy Resources Center, where they met with Dr. Steffen Mueller and representatives from Growth Energy, a USGBC member, to discuss the US ethanol industry, market developments and the role of ethanol in emerging low-carbon fuel pathways and agricultural sustainability. Later, Argonne National Laboratory welcomed the team for an overview of the latest research being conducted in the biofuels sector, including the GREET model (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies).

Marquis Energy, a USGBC member, offered a tour of its ethanol plant in Hennepin the next day for a closer look at the ethanol production process, carbon capture techniques and the ethanol export value chain. Finally, USGBC Past Chairman Mark Wilson met the group at his farm in Toulon to observe his corn crop and learn about the climate-smart agricultural practices used by US farmers.

In Houston, Texas, the team visited Advario and Eco-Energy, a USGBC member, for a tour of its liquid bulk storage facilities and export terminal to better understand the export logistics of US biofuels. Next, Everllence showcased its line of engines and how they are ready for large-scale SMF adoption.

Finally, a meeting with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) completed participants’ understanding of the US biofuels export chain by providing a perspective on the safety measures and regulations of US shipping, as well as bunkering standards and risk management for ethanol as a marine fuel.

“Bioethanol offers a readily available, scalable pathway to lower the carbon intensity of marine fuels, both through its potential direct use and as a renewable feedstock for sustainable marine fuel production,” Salcedo said. “US ethanol continues to achieve reductions in lifecycle carbon intensity through advances in agricultural practices, production efficiency, renewable energy and carbon capture, with those benefits quantified through robust lifecycle assessment tools like the GREET model.

“As the world’s largest ethanol producer, with established Gulf Coast export infrastructure, the US is well positioned to supply ethanol and ethanol-based marine fuels to Panama’s strategic maritime and bunkering sector, including vessels transiting the Panama Canal, while supporting the development of lower-carbon marine fuel markets across the broader Latin American and Caribbean region.” READ MORE