Heating with liquid fuels
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The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is the biggest event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe. The 15th edition of EUSEW was held as a digital event on 22-26 June 2020.
This year's theme for the EU Sustainable Energy Week is 'Beyond the crisis: clean energy for green recovery and growth'.
Across Europe, digital sustainable energy events called Energy Days, will be organised throughout the months of May and June. Eurofuel is proud to contribute with its video and web-page: How can liquid fuel for heating contribute to the energy transition and ensure and inclusive recovery?
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1Heating with fuels today
Heating with liquid fuels is the preferred option for around 20 million households in the EU.
2An important link in the energy transition
With the 2050 decarbonisation ambition set out in the Green Deal growth strategy, the European Commission is driving an ambitious agenda to foster the energy transition across different economic sectors.
3Liquid fuels: a variety of solutions
The industry’s continued efforts to promote research and innovation are leading to remarkable achievements in the production of new low carbon liquid fuels.
Heating with liquid fuels is the preferred option for around 20 million households in the EU.
These houses are usually not connected to the gas grid and have a limited electricity network. Off-grid people need energy supply and at present heating oil stored in tanks is the only way they can have it.
The reasons why so many European choose heating oil are multiple:
- Reliability: Easy to transport and store, heating fuels are the best energy solution for off-grid households located in rural areas
- Flexibility: Liquid fuel heating systems can be combined with different renewable energy solutions such as solar thermal, photovoltaic or biomass.
- Affordability: Thanks to the lower capital investment and running costs, heating oil systems are part of the solution against energy poverty
- Performance: high energy efficiency is what makes heating oil special: modern condensing boilers offer efficiency close to 100%.
Information sheet “Benefits of Liquid Fuels”
Several studies show the importance of liquid fuels in a low-carbon economy: check them out
Setting a pathway to renewable heating with liquid fuels
Credits: IWO
With the 2050 decarbonization ambition set out in the Green Deal growth strategy, the European Commission is driving an ambitious agenda to foster the energy transition across different economic sectors.
Heating with liquid fuels can contribute to the success of this vision through a three-step approach:
Information on condensing boilers
Thanks to the heating oil industry’s continued innovation, these steps will lead to the deployment of CO2 neutral liquid fuels in line with the EU long-term climate objective. Check our case studies illustrating the involvement of the sector in the energy transition.
In light of the profound economic impact caused by the corona virus pandemic, the use of heating fuels is crucial for a truly sustainable recovery embracing all the industrial sectors and energy solutions.
Because of the environmental and economic benefits, a “technology neutral” approach to de-carbonising heating is necessary. This is so that consumers can adopt immediate solutions - like installing a new condensing boiler - and also to enable industry to develop new low-carbon fuels, and to scale-up production of the many types such fuels that already exist.
Eurofuel 3-steps approach
Learn more from Eurofuel Secretary General about our three-step approach. - Credits: Canal Z Production
Jérôme Lamey, Suntec
This approach is supported by European manufacturers. - Credits: Suntec
Eurofuel President Moritz Bellingen
Listen to Eurofuel President Moritz Bellingen explaining what a “technology neutral” approach is and why it is needed. - Credits: Canal Z Production
A consumer experience from Germany
Credits: IWO
A consumer experience from Belgium
Credits: Canal Z Production
3Liquid fuels: a variety of solutions
The industry’s continued efforts to promote research and innovation are leading to remarkable achievements in the production of new low carbon liquid fuels.
Ranging from bio-based solutions such as Biomass-to-Liquid, HVO and FAME to synthetic products obtained through innovative technologies such as Power-to-Liquid, these fuels represent a concrete solution to decarbonise heating systems.
In addition, they can indeed be used in modern condensing boilers without the need for alterations and will therefore be “drop in” replacements for oil.
Different types of low carbon liquid fuels are already available. The raw materials for their production can be different – but they have one thing in common: the feedstock will not compete with food production.
Bio-based fuels
Different types of low carbon liquid fuels can be obtained from a variety of bio-based raw materials.
In the Biomass-to-liquid - or BtL - processes, liquid fuels are manufactured which reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional heating oil. The fuel is derived from different types of vegetable raw materials.
HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) is produced from used cooking oil, residues from the food industry and from vegetable oils which are not intended for food.
FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) is based on vegetable oil, which is processed with methanol to a liquid fuel, suitable for oil heating.
Synthetic Fuels / e-fuels
Synthetic fuels, also called e-fuels, are carbon-neutral and a viable way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions via a closed carbon cycle while keeping the fuel in liquid form. They are produced through PtL (Power-to-Liquid) process. This generates a synthetic liquid fuel by using renewable electricity, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or other sources, and water. Hydrogen is produced from renewable electricity by way of electrolysis. Carbon dioxide is captured from the atmosphere or other sources. The e-fuels are synthesized in a catalyst driven process called the “Fischer-Tropsch” process.
Once the production of low-carbon liquid fuels is scaled up, the future will be on its way for the 20 million European households which now rely on liquid fuel to heat their homes and water: liquid heating fuel has the potential to play a full part in the wider decarbonisation of heating throughout Europe by 2050.
To know more about heating with liquid fuels visit our webpage and follow us on our social media channels:
A question? contact us: info@eurofuel.eu
New low carbon liquid fuels
Discover the new low carbon liquid fuels and their characteristics. - Credits: Canal Z Production
Part I - Biomass-to-Liquid
Credits: Canal Z Production
Part II - HVO
Credits: Canal Z Production
Part III - FAME
Credits: Canal Z Production
Synthetic Fuels (e-fuels)
Ineratec Managing Director, Philipp Engelkamp, presents their production of e-fuels. - Credits: Canal Z Production & Ineratec
Production of synthetic Fuels (e-fuels)
Sunfire Chief Technical Officer, Christian von Olshausen, presents their production of e-fuels. - Credits: Sunfire