The non-profit group Global Ethanol Association has added Thoen Bio Energy SA as a new member as it works to expand ethanol’s role in the marine fuel market.

Thoen Bio Energy SA is part of Belleza Capital Group SA, a shipping and finance group led by Aage Thoen with more than 30 years of experience across various vessel segments, the association said in a LinkedIn post on Friday.

The association is increasingly focused on positioning ethanol as a marine fuel option and is preparing a project group centred on Brazilian ethanol export supply.

It sees scope to collaborate with Thoen Bio Energy SA on that effort, pointing to the company’s shipping background and links with Brazilian ethanol producers.

Interest in ethanol as a marine fuel has been growing, with discussions at the IBIA Annual Convention in Hong Kong last year highlighting increased attention on the fuel particularly as a way to address the potential shortfall in biofuel demand.

Container line Maersk is also testing a higher ethanol-to-methanol ratio on one of its vessels, compared with earlier trials using lower blends.

Launched last year, the Global Ethanol Association includes founding members such as WinGD who are close to launching an ethanol-powered marine engine.