Under pressure from the FDP, the coalition factions have agreed to allow paraffinic fuels in pure form in future, and not just as an admixture. The eFuels Forum and eFuel GmbH regard this step as an important advance for the market ramp-up of synthetic fuels, which can make an essential contribution to achieving the traffic turnaround.
The traffic light government has created the preconditions for defossilization of the transport sector: At the instigation of the FDP parliamentary group and against the opposition of the Federal Environment Ministry, DIN EN 15940 (Standard fuels – Paraffinic diesel fuel from synthesis or hydrogenation processes – Requirements and test methods) is incorporated into the 10th Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchV). As a result, motorists will be allowed to fill up with paraffinic fuels such as eFuels and innovative biofuels in pure form as of implementation. This means that in the future synthetic diesel, like gasoline before it, can also be used as a 100 percent synthetic fuel.
“Finally, the way is clear for all internal combustion engines to run on a CO2-neutral fuel, as is already possible in many European countries,” says Dr. Lorenz Kiene, managing director of eFuel GmbH and member of the eFuels Forum. The consortium Klima Kraftstoffe GmbH, which distributes the HVO products Klima Diesel25 and Klima Diesel90 throughout Germany, also emerged from the merger of more than 30 medium-sized companies. Following the amendment of the 10th BImSchV, service stations may sell climate diesel90 freely and not only to limited user groups, as was previously the case. Klima Diesel90 consists of one hundred percent bio-based, synthetic residual and waste materials, such as used fryer grease, and reduces new CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent compared to conventional diesel. The fuel is 100 percent petroleum-free.
Like the FDP, Kiene praises the initiative as an important signal for the market ramp-up of synthetic fuels. He takes a similar view of the announcement by German Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) that he will only agree to the planned ban on internal combustion vehicles in the EU from 2035 if the use of eFuels is included in the regulation on fleet limits. This position is intended to secure hundreds of thousands of jobs at manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive industry, which contribute to Germany’s prosperity – without at the same time jeopardizing the achievement of climate protection targets.
“The two technology-open decisions will give companies the long-awaited certainty to invest in industrial-scale eFuels production facilities and thus advance the market ramp-up of synthetic fuels,” Kiene predicts. As the market ramps up, the price per liter will fall to the level of fossil fuel, thus enabling not only climate-friendly but also affordable mobility. The other advantages of synthetic fuels are clear: They can be transported, stored and distributed in the existing infrastructure and refueled in vehicles with internal combustion engines without any technical adjustments. There is no need for the time-consuming and cost-intensive development of a new infrastructure or the replacement of the vehicle fleet, as is the case with electromobility.
“Incidentally, eFuels are also a substitute for fuel oil. The only recently announced planned ban on new fuel oil heating systems is therefore not necessary. They are also CO2-neutral due to firing with eFuels. This solves the problem of new emissions from our houses without having to ban another technology,” Kiene said.
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About the e-Fuels Forum:
The eFuels Forum is an information platform around the topic of eFuels, which is now supported by more than 30 medium-sized mineral oil dealers from all over Germany and the technology provider Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz GmbH (CAC). The associated website www.efuels-forum.de provides interested parties with a wealth of information on the production and benefits of synthetic fuels, as well as a news section and a comprehensive media library with recordings of events. In addition, the eFuels Forum has its own channels on Facebook and Instagram and has reached more than twelve million people since its first year of existence alone. Events are another core part of the Forum’s activities. For example, from August 23 to September 7, 2021, an information tour took place at filling stations throughout Germany and at the demonstration plant of CAC and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg. With the 3,000 kilometers of driven distance in a BMW Mini, fueled with eFuels from CAC, the stress test has been successfully passed. Another information tour took place from June 27 to June 30, 2022, during which the BMW Mini covered around 2,000 kilometers in a CO2-neutral manner. Further appearances at trade fairs and rallies are also planned for this year.
About eFuel GmbH:
CO2-neutral and crisis-proof into the future – with eFuels, this vision can become reality. To accelerate the process, ten medium-sized oil companies have joined forces to form eFuel GmbH. The company’s goal is to participate in companies and initiatives that develop and bring eFuels to market. A higher amount in millions is available for this purpose. For more information, visit www.efuel-gmbh.de
