Porsche ramps up work with electricity-based synthetic fuels

As Porsche races to electrify its fleet over the next decade, the German sports car maker is investing in alternative fuels to reduce its carbon footprint.

Porsche is backing fuel development company HIF Global, which has started production of electricity-based synthetic fuels from hydrogen and carbon dioxide using wind energy. Earlier this year, Porsche announced that it had invested his $75 million in his 12.5% ​​stake in HIF Global.

HIF’s plant in Chile will produce about 130,000 liters of synthetic fuel per year in a pilot phase, with annual capacity of 55 million liters (14.5 million gallons) by mid-2010 and 550 million by around 2027. becomes a liter.

Michael Steiner, Porsche’s head of research and development, told journalists in a video call on Tuesday that at current rates, the plant could produce eFuel for less than $2 a liter.

Porsche will be the first purchaser of eFuel, powering race cars in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and cars in the company’s ‘Experience Center’.

In the future, eFuels can power models like the Porsche 911 sports car, which the company plans to continue offering as internal combustion engine models.

“Porsche is working on a dual e-path as a complementary technology to e-mobility and eFuels,” said Barbara Frenkel, Head of Procurement at Porsche AG.

Other brands in the Volkswagen Group are similarly interested in using eFuel, Steiner said. Longer term, HIF plans to sell his eFuels to oil and gas companies and other automakers looking to reduce the carbon footprint of their vehicles.

The potential for eFuels is enormous. There are over 1.3 billion internal combustion engine vehicles worldwide, many of which have been on the road for decades. Alternative fuels offer existing car owners a nearly carbon-neutral alternative.

Frenkel said this year, “We cannot rely solely on e-mobility for new vehicles. We also need solutions that ensure that existing vehicles and the growing global vehicle population contribute to decarbonisation.”

HIF Global plans to build 12 commercial facilities in Texas, Chile and Australia to produce 150,000 barrels of fuel daily using 25 gigawatts of renewable energy and approximately 25 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. I’m here.

These alternative fuels also offer potential in other areas, such as maritime and air transportation.

HIF’s Chile plant offers ideal conditions for producing eFuel. The wind blows there about 270 days a year, allowing the wind turbines to run at full capacity.