SENER Sets Biofuel Production, Import Permits

SENER issued 22 standardized administrative instruments and logbooks establishing a unified permitting framework for biofuel production, importation, storage, and commercialization across Mexico. Replacing administrative guidelines from 2009, this regulation mandates rigorous technical, financial, and product-traceability compliance for operators handling biogas, biomethane, biojet fuel, bioethanol, and biodiesel. The standardized rules establish regulatory certainty and operational oversight for private and public market participants across Mexico's energy transition landscape.

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SENER published an agreement in the Federal Official Gazette (DOF) establishing official forms, operational logs, and administrative procedures required across Mexico's biofuel supply chain. The regulation sets standardized requirements for obtaining permits and authorizations related to production, importation, exportation, storage, transportation, commercialization, distribution, and public retail of biofuels. 

The regulatory update implements provisions established in the Biofuels Law and its corresponding regulations. The new framework mandates standardized application procedures for physical and moral persons operating within the sector. The regulations apply to primary bioenergy products including biogas, biomethane, biojet fuel, bioethanol, and biodiesel. 

The publication introduces 22 administrative instruments divided across seven technical annexes. These include eight permit application forms covering each stage of the commercial supply chain, specialized production authorizations, nine operational control logbooks, and official notice forms for operational commencement, modification, suspension, transfer, or extension of rights. Under these rules, permit applicants must provide detailed technical and financial documentation, including capacity projections, commercial traceability, source country information for imports, and tax compliance certification.

Aligned with the national simplification and digitalization goals outlined in the National Development Plan, the regulation replaces previous administrative guidelines issued in November 2009 regarding anhydrous ethanol and biodiesel permits. The new rules enter into force on Sep. 1, 2026, establishing a uniform administrative framework for private and public operators across the national bioenergy market. 

Biogas Integration in the Domestic Market

The implementation of the new administrative framework coincides with the issuance of the first national biomethane commercialization permit under current legislation, granted to Brimex, as highlighted by Guillermo Gómez, President, National Biogas Council (CN Biogas) in an interview with MBN. 

CN Biogás anticipates at least 10 flagship projects will be submitted to SENER for permitting, covering landfill gas recovery and road transport of compressed biomethane. Industry estimates indicate that biomethane produced from organic waste holds the technical potential to substitute between 10% and 15% of Mexico's natural gas demand. Simultaneously, the National Energy Transition Standardization Committee is developing technical standards to govern quality specifications, safety protocols, and pipeline injection parameters for biomethane integration into distribution networks.

According to Gómez, project developers are adapting financial structures to offset the cost differential between biomethane and cheap imported natural gas. Instead of purchasing feedstock, operators are shifting toward alternative revenue models where waste generators pay tipping fees for proper disposal, while developers monetize emissions reductions through voluntary carbon markets to improve project bankability. “When combined with energy sales, this balance can make projects viable, even if biomethane remains more expensive than natural gas on a pure commodity basis,” he clarified.

Bilateral Cooperation and Sustainable Fuel Pathways

On Feb. 2, 2026, MBN reported that SENER participated in a technical mission to the United States focused on ethanol and Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technologies for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Developed in coordination with US energy and agricultural authorities, the bilateral agenda aims to establish regulatory pathways for ethanol gasoline blending at levels such as E10 or higher, moving past the historical limit of 5.8% set in previous regulations.

This policy shift addresses Mexico's long-standing reliance on imported methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as a primary gasoline oxygenate additive. Federal authorities plan to leverage domestic agricultural infrastructure, including sugarcane and biomass feedstocks, to supply the biofuel production chain, reduce additive imports, and accelerate decarbonization across ground transportation and aviation sectors.