With the declared intention to include synthetic fuels in the mix of technologies that can be used by the European car industry after 2035, alongside electricity and hydrogen, several European states have taken steps in Brussels in this regard since the spring of this year. Germany, the most ardent supporter of e-fuels, is now hoping to get the support of the European Commission.
On March 13, a meeting was held in Strasbourg between the representatives of 12 EU states that support the amendment of the regulations regarding the ban on the sale of cars with thermal engines after 2035, already voted in the European Parliament.
Convened by the Czech Republic, but with Germany as its main supporter, the meeting formed a strong alliance of states that requested the European Commission (EC) to rethink the regulations regarding the fight against pollution from vehicles. One of the most important items on the agenda of discussions held in recent months with EC officials is the use of e-fuels in transport both before and after 2035, when the full transition of new car production and sales from the EU to electricity and hydrogen.
Despite the fact that discussions on synthetic fuels are advanced, the European Commission has not yet sent the European Parliament a request to include them among the technologies allowed after 2035. In this context, Germany hopes to be able to convince EC officials at a meeting that will have place on September 25.
Unfortunately, the e-fuel proposals, backed by the nation with Europe’s most powerful car industry, come amid fears that politicians could be swayed by lobby groups controlled by major car companies to follow Britain’s lead . It announced last week that it is postponing its ambitions to strictly allow the sale of zero-emissions cars from 2030 to 2035.
In order to maintain its target of progressive reduction of polluting emissions and not to bury the “Fit for 55” programme, the European Commission could require car manufacturers to demonstrate that the use of e-fuels is neutral from a climate point of view. According to a document cited by Reuters, in exchange for allowing the European auto industry to use synthetic fuels, EC officials want to impose very strict rules on their production and use. E-fuels are considered carbon neutral when they are made using CO2 captured from the atmosphere that offsets the CO2 released when the fuel is burned by a heat engine.
Although very difficult to demonstrate, and even more difficult to achieve, the neutrality of synthetic fuels could help the industry make the transition from thermal to electric cars. More precisely, the creation of synthetic fuels that can be used by current cars with thermal engines, would greatly reduce their emissions until the moment when the entire European car fleet would consist only of cars with electric or hydrogen engines.
Unfortunately, however, fuel specialists are skeptical about achieving neutrality. “A 100% reduction in emissions is almost impossible,” says Ralf Diemer, managing director of the eFuel Alliance. Also, Amer Amer, an Aramco engineer working with the Stellantis and Renault groups to develop synthetic fuels, recently said the oil major could achieve a CO2 reduction of “more than 70%” in their production. The remaining 30% includes the manufacturing footprint of wind turbines, solar panels, and electrolysis equipment as well as fuel transportation and delivery.
Although there are few who believe that e-fuels can be considered neutral fuels, several car companies have already decided to work on equipment that will allow their use in cars already on the market. Just a few weeks ago, at the Munich motor show (IAA Mobility 2023), Gilles Le Bourgne, executive vice-president who oversees the entire engineering activity of the Renault group, declared that “regarding «e-Fuels» we need supporting oil companies. They have money and refineries in areas with a lot of sun, where refining can be done with the help of solar energy. In addition, they must think about a future without fossil fuels and secure their businesses. As you know, we at Renault are trying a partnership with Aramco in this regard. (…) Dacia is a brand that can use “e-fuels”. We have already announced that the car for Dakar will be powered by such fuel, and in our laboratories we are testing it on thermal engines. The fact that this fuel can be used almost immediately in thermal engines helps enormously because the complete change of the European car fleet to electric cars will take a very long time. Until then, we can use “e-fuels”.
The Renault official also explained how the price of synthetic fuels, which is now far too high for users to accept, could be reduced.
“Synthetic fuels have to reach the market anyway. And they will arrive. Because, in the case of the aeronautical industry, for example, there is no alternative. Airplanes cannot take off with tons of batteries on board. It is true that the production of “e-fuels” requires major costs, which leads, for now, to a prohibitive price. But we are still in the early stages of production. With the increased sales volume the price will decrease. Then, don’t forget what the fuel pump price is made up of. Taxation. Surely states can, and should, reduce taxes on this much less polluting fuel. That is if they want to reduce emissions as they do with the electric subsidies”, explained Gilles Le Bourgne.
Read also:
– The EURO 7 norms will be “tamed”. The final decision is in the hands of the European Parliament
– Gilles Le Borgne (Renault): We will renegotiate with the EC in 2026 the project to ban sales of new cars with thermal engines
2023-09-24 18:52:04
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