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The FDP is pushing for an exception for E-fuels achievable with the burner. However, some experts are skeptical that e-fuels really are the future. The EU's final decision on a blanket ban on new internal combustion engines from 2035 has been delayed. Transport Minister Volker Wissing states that Germany is currently unable to agree and is demanding a proposal from the EU Commission on how synthetic fuels can be used in combustion engines after 2035 without jeopardizing climate targets. E-fuels could be an option to operate combustion engines with a clean energy source. However, e-fuels are not without controversy and will probably not be a real alternative.
What are e-fuels?
These are man-made fuels, also known as electrofuels. Typically, water is converted to hydrogen using “a lot” of electricity and then combined with carbon dioxide. Depending on the chemical composition, the resulting fuel can have properties similar to diesel, gasoline or kerosene. The sustainability of such synthetic fuels depends on their origin. They are only considered to be produced in a climate-neutral manner if the electricity required for them is gone renewable sources originates, such as wind power, solar systems or hydroelectric power plants. Carbon dioxide can also be extracted from the atmosphere to produce e-fuels. However, this process is very energy-intensive because the CO₂ concentration in the air is not particularly high.
What problems can arise in e-fuel production?
It would theoretically be possible to produce enough e-fuels, but there are currently no adequate production facilities. The largest plant for e-fuels is currently being built in Patagonia (Chile) and is expected to produce synthetic fuel by the end of this decade, which, however, only corresponds to around one percent of the current fuel requirement in Germany. Expanding to other countries, it would take about 5.000 plants like the one in Chile to meet global demand. So far, however, nobody has been able to explain where and by when such plants will be built. In addition to technological know-how, setting up a production plant naturally also requires a great deal of time, space and enormous financial commitment. Although Bergakademie Freiberg operates a pilot plant, its engineers do not believe that large-scale production in Germany is realistic.
Will e-fuels still be used?
It's undeniable that we need e-fuels, but we do not for road traffic. The need for synthetic fuels is much more pressing in shipping and aviation. The large shipping companies are already converting their new tankers to run on e-methanol. According to the Bergakademie Freiberg, there are around 1,4 billion vehicles with internal combustion engines worldwide. These cannot disappear in a short period of time without expending enormous amounts of energy on the production of alternative vehicles. Synthetic fuels could therefore be a solution for internal combustion engines. However, they do not make sense in urban areas due to the exhaust emissions. Currently, electric propulsion is actually the best option in terms of carbon footprint and overall costs. Viewed over the entire service life, the balance of e-fuels is around 30% worse than that of a comparable electric vehicle.
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