Preliminary data published by the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP) and compiled by the Sugarcane Industry Union (UNICA) indicate that fuel consumption in the national market reached 22.72 billion liters, in gasoline equivalent, accumulated in 2020, which represents a drop of 12.7% in comparison with the same period of 2019.

Hydrous ethanol, in turn, indicates a 16.7% decrease in relation to the first half of 2019, with a total consumption of 8.96 billion liters, the second highest consumption of hydrate in the first six months of each year.

“This result emphasizes the competitiveness of ethanol in the main consumer centers in relation to gasoline, which made it possible to maintain participation in the fuel matrix of the Otto cycle. When filling with ethanol, the consumer is using fuel that is not only more affordable but better for the environment ”, analyzes Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, technical director of UNICA. In the accumulated result for the year, the index, which measures the volume of hydrated and anhydrous consumed by the fleet of passenger vehicles and light cargo, indicates 47.2%.

June data 

In June 2020, 3.64 billion liters of fuel were consumed by the light vehicle fleet. This result indicates a decrease of 12.6% when compared to the same period of the previous year - lesser monthly retraction in comparison with 2019 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The consumption of hydrated ethanol in the sixth month of 2020 totaled 1.33 billion liters in the country, a drop of 22.9% in relation to June 2019. This volume also represents a growth of 5.0% in the volume of biofuel demanded in compared to May 2020.