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"Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro are turning their attention to biofuels, developing methods for their evaluation, regulation and quality control in Brazil amid volatile energy markets. Footage captured on Wednesday shows experts working in the Fuel and Petroleum Derivatives Laboratory (LABCOM) at the Faculty of Chemistry. Emeritus professor Luis Antonio Davila highlighted Brazil's strong productive capacity in the international biofuels market, set against an oil crisis triggered by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. "We have large production, and perhaps we are the world's largest producers of oilseeds, especially soy. In addition, we produce ethanol through sugarcane and, mainly, corn, to some extent," the professor noted. He explained that biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oils through a chemical process known as transesterification. "We have the potential to supply Brazil with this gradual incorporation of biodiesel into diesel, but we are also exporters. Thus, we have great potential to meet the growing demand for biofuels," he continued. Researcher Cristiane Jimenez explained that Brazil's energy matrix is 'very diversified', with ongoing efforts to incorporate more environmentally-friendly energy sources. "We have ethanol, we have biodiesel, and at some point we will also have a biofuel," she said. "In this way it can replace diesel fuel, [...] as it comes from a natural and biodegradable source." According to Jimenez, the integration of more ecological fuels would help reduce the global impact of oil crises. "We will not be completely immune, but we will be much better prepared to face this problem of war. All this is problematic, especially because Brazil is also an oil exporter," she noted. The work carried out at LABCOM not only strengthens academic research, but also contributes to the regulation and standardisation of fuels at the national level. Brazil, supported by its capacity in ethanol, biodiesel and other alternatives, seeks to consolidate greater energy independence and stabilise prices amid an oil crisis linked to tensions involving Iran. This comes amid a global surge in oil prices linked to the war in Iran and subsequent disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz - a vital chokepoint through which around one-fifth of the world's oil supplies pass."
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