E-fuels for the Energy Transition in the Transport Sector - Properties and Application: Current State of Research

The defossilization of the transport sector is of crucial importance to reduce climate effects, while emissions of soot particles and NOx are harmful to environment and human health. Sustainable fuels offer the chance of addressing both: Reducing climate impact and improving local air quality. Among alternative fuels, E-fuels are considered to become a game player. Using Power-to-Liquid (PtL) technologies they will be produced from CO2 and green hydrogen based on (excess) renewable energy, such as wind or solar power. This study provides an overview on the variety of E-fuels, including OME, DME, and methanol as well as synthetic gasoline, diesel, and kerosene produced via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Important fuel properties are analyzed to assess the technical applicability as well as their usage as drop-in and neat fuels by considering fuel regulations and the compatibility with existing technology. This study is part of our ongoing work within “Begleitforschung Energiewende im Verkehr” (BEniVer), a research project accompanying the funding initiative “Energy transition in transport” of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).