The Route of Sustainable Fuels as the Basis for Zero Emission Mobility – has PtX a Chance?

Authors

Dr. J. Adolf, Dr. C. Balzer, Dr. A. Janssen, Dr. W. Warnecke, Shell, Hamburg; Dr. K. Gruenberg, Dr. M. Klokkenburg, et al., Shell NL; Dr. A. Mehta, Dr. J. Powell, Shell US; J. Cadu, Shell UK

Year

2018

Print Info

Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Series 12, No 807

Summary

The energy transition will finally also impact the transport sector. Low- or zero-emission technologies are needed to cope with the 3-fold emission issue of road transport – CO₂, NO_x and Particulates. So far, battery electric (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) have been considered the only relevant drivetrain technologies, which delivers zero tailpipe emissions. But BEVs and FCEVs alone will not be sufficient to enable low- or zero-emission mobility for all types of vehicles or means of transport. Moreover, switching drivetrains of vehicle fleets will take time, incur additional cost and from an end-to-end perspective might not deliver the required CO₂ reductions. Therefore, other fuel technology options are being explored and might become attractive. Specifically, Power-to-X or E-fuels are gaining interest in the industry and by some legislators in EU. Power-to-X (PtX) or E-fuels are liquid or gaseous synthetic fuels produced from (ideally green) electricity. This presentation discusses the potential need for such fuels by type of vehicle and means of transport. Also, the additional PtX derived electricity demand as well as the availability of sufficient amounts of green electricity on the basis of available 3rd party sources will be estimated. As energy transition in road transport needs clean(er) fuels, meaning fuels with an overall lower CO₂ footprint. A review of the energy and greenhouse gas balances, including tank-to-wheel and well-to-wheel calculations, of various PtX fuels will be provided. Those data are benchmarked with other fuels and ICE/PtX and drivetrain/fuel combinations.