Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy has announced that tests on increasing the ethanol blend in gasoline to 30 per cent (E30) have shown positive results, with "consistent performance" and "real environmental benefits." Minister Alexandre Silveira stated that E30 would make Brazil independent of gasoline imports, a milestone not achieved since 2010. Currently, Brazil uses a 27 per cent ethanol mix in gasoline, and the move to E30 would significantly boost domestic ethanol demand. The proposal will be submitted to the National Energy Policy Council, though Silveira did not provide a timeline, citing concerns over the impact on sugar, corn, and soy prices. The shift to E30 is expected to generate investments of around 9 billion reais ($1.59 billion) and could lower gasoline prices by up to 0.13 reais per liter, according to the Ministry. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: M. S. Salama