Rajan Wilcox
Sustainable fuels are essential to reducing global CO2 emissions from cars, especially as the average lifespan of internal combustion-powered vehicles continues to increase. Sustainable fuels are carbon-neutral, meaning they add no additional carbon to the atmosphere when used. In addition to hydrogen, two main types of sustainable fuels have emerged: e-fuels and biofuels. Biofuels are produced from biological materials, such as crops or waste products, and can be used in vehicles without modification. For example, ethanol is a widely used renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials that can be blended with gasoline for use in vehicles. Biodiesel, another type of biofuel, is made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled cooking grease and can be used in diesel vehicles. Sustainable fuel blends, such as those offered by SUSTAIN, enable drivers to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions without compromising performance or engine protection.
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What You'll Learn
Ethanol-cut petrol
The use of ethanol-cut petrol offers both advantages and considerations. On the one hand, ethanol-cut petrol reduces the consumption of crude oil and can lower carbon emissions. For example, carmaker Ford reported a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions with bioethanol compared to petrol for one of their flexible-fuel vehicles. However, high ethanol content may not be suitable for older vehicles as ethanol is corrosive to certain fuel system components. Additionally, ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water from the atmosphere, which can lead to condensation.
To address these challenges, companies like Coryton's Sustain Fuels have developed chemical processes to eliminate ethanol almost entirely. Their process starts with agricultural and food waste, which undergoes fermentation to produce ethanol. Subsequently, a two-stage catalytic process converts the ethanol into a hydrocarbon fuel with minimal ethanol content. This fuel is then blended with fossil-based gasoline to create more sustainable petrol options.
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Hydrogen
The main advantage of hydrogen fuel cells is that they offer zero emissions, high efficiency, renewable production, fast refuelling, and high energy density. The refuelling process for hydrogen cars is similar to that of a standard petrol or diesel car and takes less than five minutes. Additionally, two tanks holding a total of 6kg of hydrogen could provide a range of 310 miles, making hydrogen a viable option for long-distance driving.
However, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have not become a mainstream choice for consumers due to challenges related to infrastructure, production, storage, safety, cost, and overall energy efficiency. The growth of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and their rapidly expanding charging infrastructure have further solidified electric vehicles as the future of sustainable transportation. Nevertheless, hydrogen fuel cells are still being explored by major car manufacturers, including Toyota, BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, and Stellantis, indicating that hydrogen may still have a role to play in the transition to sustainable transportation.
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E-fuels
Despite these drawbacks, e-fuels have gained attention as a potential way to prolong the life of internal combustion engines beyond zero-emissions targets. Car parts suppliers and the fossil fuel industry have advocated for exemptions for e-fuels to be added to car CO2 standards. However, critics argue that this would be a dangerous distraction and that Europe's focus should be on electric vehicles to maintain its competitiveness in the global market.
While e-fuels offer a nearly carbon-neutral alternative for the 1.3 billion vehicles with combustion engines currently on the road, the numbers produced are still tiny compared to the amount of fossil fuel consumed globally each year. For example, the firm Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF), one of the world's biggest producers of e-fuels, has an initial target of producing 130,000 litres of e-fuel annually, with this figure rising to 55 million litres by the middle of the decade.
In conclusion, while e-fuels have the potential to reduce carbon emissions and offer a sustainable alternative to electrification, there are also economic and environmental concerns associated with their adoption.
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Biofuels
Sustainable fuels are an increasingly popular way to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and cut carbon emissions. One such sustainable fuel is biofuel, which is based on biological materials, including crops grown for fuel production or waste products from crops grown for food. Biofuels can be further broken down into bioethanol and biogasoline.
Bioethanol, or ethanol, is a widely used renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials. It is blended with gasoline for use in vehicles. While it does reduce the amount of crude oil consumed and net carbon emissions, high ethanol content can be unsuitable for older vehicles as it is corrosive to plastic, rubber, and metal components in the fuel system. It is also hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water from the atmosphere, which can lead to condensation. However, chemical processes can be used to eliminate ethanol almost entirely, creating a hydrocarbon fuel with barely any trace of ethanol that can be blended with fossil-based gasoline to produce different blends.
Biodiesel is another type of biofuel that can be used as a renewable fuel in diesel vehicles. It can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled cooking grease. Biodiesel concentrations of up to 5% (B5) are approved for safe operation in any diesel engine, including passenger cars, trucks, and heavy-duty trucks.
SUSTAIN is an example of a company that offers sustainable fuels for road, motorsports, and classic vehicles. Their blends of bioethanol and biogasoline enable users to produce less greenhouse gas without compromising performance or engine protection.
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Biomass-based diesel
Sustainable fuels are an increasingly popular alternative to conventional fuels, offering improved efficiency, reduced costs, and lower emissions. One such sustainable fuel is biomass-based diesel, which has played a significant role in complying with renewable fuel mandates. Biomass-based diesel is a renewable transportation fuel that can be used in diesel engines, either on its own or blended with mineral diesel. It is produced from organic lipid feedstocks containing free fatty acids, such as vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled grease.
There are two main types of biomass-based diesel fuels: biodiesel and renewable diesel. Biodiesel, also known as FAME biodiesel or FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester), is the predominant form of biomass-based diesel. It is produced through a process called transesterification, which converts organic fats and oils into fatty acid alkyl esters by reacting them with alcohols and catalysts. Methanol is commonly used as the reactant to create fatty acid methyl esters. After proper post-treatment, the resulting mixture containing methyl or ethyl esters is considered biodiesel if it meets the quality standards.
Renewable diesel, on the other hand, is similar to petrodiesel in terms of chemistry but is derived from recently lived biomass. It is created through a different production process than biodiesel, resulting in a more petrodiesel-like fuel. Renewable diesel has seen a recent boom in production capacity, impacting the price of fats and oils used as feedstocks for biomass-based diesel.
The use of biomass-based diesel offers several advantages. Firstly, it helps to reduce harmful exhaust gases, benefiting human health. Additionally, it contributes to national energy security, trade balance, and the development of rural regions. The production and utilization of biomass-based diesel are driven by policies such as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in the United States, which mandates the use of renewable fuels by petroleum refiners.
Overall, biomass-based diesel is a sustainable alternative to conventional diesel, offering environmental, social, and economic benefits. It plays a crucial role in reducing emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, while also providing opportunities for rural development and improved energy security.
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Frequently asked questions
Sustainable fuels for cars include electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, and biofuels. Biofuels are based on biological materials, such as crops grown for fuel or waste products from crops grown for food.
Sustainable fuels are carbon-neutral, meaning they add no additional carbon to the atmosphere when used. They are designed to be "drop-in" fuels, which can be used in vehicles without modification. The use of sustainable fuels can significantly reduce global vehicle emissions and ease supply chain issues involved in manufacturing electric vehicle batteries.
One challenge is that some sustainable fuels, such as ethanol-cut petrol, may not be suitable for older vehicles due to their corrosive nature. Additionally, the public adoption of certain sustainable fuels, such as hydrogen, has been slow, with a limited number of hydrogen filling stations available globally.
