Low carbon & renewable fuels: How sustainable are they?
Every Friday over the course of 5 weeks, Eurofuel will present the "Future Fuels" in the framework of the EU Sustainable Energy Days.
By 2050, we need to decarbonise heating.
Liquid fuels can contribute to the energy transition for heating and ensure and inclusive recovery. They are a sustainable and affordable alternative for households located in off-grid areas (17% Europeans). The campaign will present the following topics:
1. Liquid fuels for heating: why we need them even more for the energy transition (10 September 2021)
2. What are they (FAME, HVO, PtX)? (17 September 2021)
3. How sustainable are they? (24 September 2021)
4. The liquid heating fuel industry and boilers manufacturers have tested the solution - how does it work? (1 October 2021)
5. What will the sector look like in 2050? (8 October 2021)
#FutureFuelsFriday – part 3
Low carbon & renewable fuels: How sustainable are they?
Renewable and low carbon liquid fuels are one of the solutions for the future, and for some uses the only solution. If their carbon print is limited or neutral, what is their sustainability on other aspects?
What are the raw materials used?
There are different options for raw materials, but one major principle always applies: the feedstock must not compete with food production.
Circularity is another important area for sustainability: biofuels made from waste vegetable oils or from waste and residual fat fractions that have first served a food purpose, are part of a circular economy. Likewise, synthetic fuels, which are climate-neutral, reuse in the production process the CO2 released during combustion.
The products must be REDII conform (ie. meet the requirements of the EU Renewable Energy Directive), thus guaranteeing their sustainability. For the production of these fuels, it is not necessary to reallocate land area. Thus, no land intended for food production is lost and biodiversity is not compromised.