Emission-neutral combustion engines? New fuels could make it happen
Florian Pitzinger
Head of Group Communication, Member of ExCom Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
Up until recently, a carbon-neutral combustion engine was the stuff of dreams. Now it may soon become reality. The secret lies in synthetic, or carbon-neutral, fuels, whose manufacturing process captures CO2. In this way, this greenhouse gas becomes a raw material, from which gasoline, diesel, and substitute natural gas can be produced with the help of electricity from renewable sources.
“Synthetic fuels can make gasoline- and diesel-powered cars carbon-neutral, and thus make a significant contribution to limiting global warming,” Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH.
The synthetic fuels can thus be an important addition to electric mobility. Why? Check out the video here:
Production starting in Norway and Germany
Technically speaking, it is already possible to manufacture synthetic fuels. If the electricity used is generated from renewables (and thus CO2-free), such fuels are carbon-neutral and very versatile. The hydrogen (H2) that is initially produced can be used to power fuel cells, while the fuels created following further processing can be used to run combustion engines or aircraft turbines. Pilot projects to commercialize synthetic diesel, gasoline, and gas are currently underway in Norway and Germany.
Price competitive? Maybe soon?
A company in Norway, Nordic Blue Crude, is proposing to build a manufacturing facility to produce synthetic diesel and gasoline. Audi has been experimenting with carbon neutral fuels for the past four years as it plans how to meet Europe’s more stringent emissions standards that will go into effect in less than 5 years. Present studies suggest that the fuel itself (excluding any excise duties) could cost between 1.00 and 1.40 euros a liter in the long run.
What's your opinion on this? Join the discussion in the comments.
Burning for modern renewable fuels!
7 年By the way, Florian, it might be worth mentioning that all synthetic diesels must and will fulfil the same fuel standard, EN 15940, making them mutually mixable and interchangeable. This is the real advantage over many other "alternative fuels". They can also be (and are already being) added to conventional diesel to improve the quality of fossil diesel in the shape of "premium diesel".
Freelance Automotive Consultant: automobiles & industrial equipment - Networking - Relationships - Team Player
7 年I agree with Uwe & Alexander + what about OPEC & oil companies ' position..? But, good to know there are complementary options, for in case ...
Burning for modern renewable fuels!
7 年There are no "alternative" paths. They all share the same status as "complementary". Too many "desk jockeys" of the past have repeatedly failed to correctly predict "the right choice". We need regulatory frameworks that provide technology-open evaluating tools, so that emerging tech can quickly be granted a "clean" status depending on its performance.
Managing Director Sales & Business Development at Munich Electrification
7 年Well, this is for sure a good approach as you can store the energy much easier in a liquid than in a battery. Still efficiency of this approach (conversion electrical energy into fuel and then combustion at < 45% again) is nowhere near the efficiency of using the same energy in a battery electric vehicle. Excess energy should be used to create fuel whenever possible, but not as an alternative consuming the base load of green energy. Let's consider it a complementary, but not alternative path.