#TLDR Porsche’s eFuels is able to power any combustion engine which is perfect for all current road-going vehicles to switchover to a near carbon-neutral alternative.
Although the Porsche Taycan is an electrical wonder on four wheels, the question of how the current crop of combustion engines reduce its carbon footprint is still very much in the air. One solution comes from Porsche’s eFuel, which is a near carbon-neutral alternative fuel to power any existing vehicles.
Porsche and international partners working with the Chilean operating company Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF) have started the industrial production of synthetic fuels. In the presence of Chilean Energy Minister Diego Pardow, the ‘Haru Oni’ pilot plant in Punta Arenas (Chile) was officially opened recently. Porsche Executive Board members Barbara Frenkel and Michael Steiner performed the ceremonial fuelling of a Porsche 911 with the first synthetic fuel produced at the site. eFuels made from water and carbon dioxide using wind energy enable the nearly CO2-neutral operation of petrol engines.
In the pilot phase, eFuel production of around 130,000 litres per year is planned. Initially the fuel is to be used in lighthouse projects such as the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and at Porsche Experience Centers. After the pilot phase, the first scaling will take the project in Chile up to a projected 55 million litres per year by the middle of the decade. Around two years later the capacity is expected to be 550 million litres.
The south of Chile offers ideal conditions for the production of eFuels, with the wind blowing for around 270 days a year and enabling the wind turbines to operate at full capacity. Punta Arenas is also located close to the Strait of Magellan. From the port of Cabo Negro, the synthetic eFuel can be transported just like traditional fuels all over the world, and be distributed using the existing infrastructure.
Porsche is working towards a CO2-neutral balance sheet across the entire value chain by 2030. This also includes a CO2-neutral usage phase for future all-electric models. Synthetic fuels supplement electromobility and are part of the sports car manufacturer’s sustainability strategy.
Porsche has already invested over 100 million USD in the development and production of eFuels. Other than Chile, USA and Australia will have their own eFuels plant in due time.
