The Norcan Petroleum terminal located in the east end of Montreal recently announced that it has signed a strategic partnership to increase imports of ethanol, a lower-carbon alternative fuel.

This initiative will help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles in Quebec, furthering efforts by the Port of Montreal and its partners to accelerate the energy transition and fight climate change. In all, some 13,500 tonnes of ethanol will be stored at the Norcan terminal before being sold in bulk to companies or shipped by truck.

Ethanol is a biofuel produced from renewable raw materials such as sugar cane, corn, and sugar beet. Its use in recreational vehicles cuts GHG emissions compared with traditional fossil fuels. According to government requirements, the proportion of ethanol in gasoline available to vehicles must increase to 15% by 2025. Importing ethanol from South America is a step in the right direction to meet the new government requirements and the growing demand for low-carbon energy sources.

Note that the Montreal Port Authority is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2035, and is playing a leading role in accelerating decarbonization in the logistics sector throughout Port territory by 2050.