Beyond fossil:the synthetic fuel surge for a green-energy resurgence

This review offers a comprehensive overview of synthetic fuels as promising alternatives to conventional fossil fuels.The carbon-neutral potential of synthetic fuels when produced using renewable energy and captured CO_(2),offering significant opportunities to mitigate CO_(2) emissions,is discussed.Moreover,the efficiency of synthetic fuels is presented,as they do not require dedicated agricultural land or substantial water resources,addressing concerns related to the land-use change and water scarcity associated with traditional biofuels.The economic viability of synthetic fuels is explored,highlighting the advancements in technology and decreased renewable-energy costs,coupled with their independence from food crops,mitigating concerns about potential impacts on food prices.Major investments by industry leaders such as Porsche,Highly Innovative Fuels Global,and ExxonMobil,totalling$1 billion,aimed at achieving an annual production of 550 million litres by 2026,are covered in detail.This study is further extended by emphasizing the scalability of synthetic fuel production through modular processes,enabling tailored facilities to meet regional demands and contribute to a decentralized and resilient energy infrastructure.Additionally,the‘drop-in’nature of synthetic fuels that are seamlessly compatible with existing fuel storage,pipelines,and pumps,facilitating a smooth transition without requiring extensive infrastructure changes,is highlighted.Challenges such as the current high cost of synthetic fuel production are acknow-ledged,necessitating supportive government policies and incentives for widespread adoption.Overall,synthetic fuels have emerged as promising contenders in the pursuit of sustainable and adaptable energy solutions,with tangible benefits for the environment,economy,and existing energy infrastructure.

Chemical storage of hydrogen in synthetic liquid fuels:building block for CO_(2)-neutral mobility

Green hydrogen is anticipated to play a major role in the decarbonization of the mobility sector.Its chemical storage in CO_(2)-neutral synthetic liquid fuels is advantageous in terms of safety and reliability compared to other hydrogen storage developments,and thus represents a complementary building block to developments in electric and hydrogen mobility for the low-carbon transition in the mobility sector.Its development is especially relevant for transport sectors which will have no alternatives to liquid fuels in the foreseeable future.In this paper,three alternative technological routes for the chemical storage of hydrogen in CO_(2)-neutral synthetic liquid fuels are identified and comparatively evaluated in terms of feedstock potential,product potential,demand for renewable electricity and associated costs,efficiency as well as expected market relevance.While all three routes exhibited similar levels of overall efficiencies,electricity-based liquid fuels in Germany are currently limited by the high cost and limited supply of renewable electricity.In contrast,liquid fuels generated from biogenic waste have a constant supply of biogenic feedstock and are largely independent from the supply and cost of renewable electricity.