Porsche and its Partners Officially Opened eFuels Pilot Plant in Chile
The 'Haru Oni' pilot plant in Punta Arenas (Chile) was recently opened in the presence of Chilean Energy Minister Diego Pardow. The company's Executive Board members, Barbara Frenkel and Michael Steiner, fueled 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.
“Porsche is committed to a double-e path: e-mobility and eFuels as complementary technology. Using eFuels reduces CO2 emissions. Looking at the entire traffic sector, the industrial production of synthetic fuels should keep being pushed forward worldwide. With the eFuels pilot plant, Porsche is playing a leading role in this development,” says Barbara Frenkel, Member of the Executive Board for Procurement at Porsche AG.
“The potential of eFuels is huge. There are currently more than 1.3 billion vehicles with combustion engines worldwide. Many of these will be on the road for decades, and eFuels provide owners of existing vehicles with a nearly carbon-neutral alternative. As the manufacturer of high-performance, efficient engines, Porsche has a wide range of know-how in the field of fuels,” adds Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Development and Research at Porsche AG.
During the trial phase, an estimated 130,000 litres of eFuel will be produced per year. At first, the fuel will be used in high-profile projects like the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and Porsche Experience Centres. Following the trial phase, the project in Chile will be scaled up to an estimated 55 million litres per year by the middle of the decade. The capacity is planned to be 550 million litres two years later.
The south of Chile is ideal for producing eFuels because the wind blows there approximately 270 days per year, allowing wind turbines to operate at full capacity. Punta Arenas is also located close to the Strait of Magellan. Synthetic eFuel can be shipped all over the world from the port of Cabo Negro in the same way that traditional fuels are shipped and distributed.
Porsche aims to achieve a CO2-neutral balance sheet across the full value chain by 2030. This includes a CO2-neutral phase for future all-electric vehicles. Synthetic fuels enhance electromobility and are an important component of the sports car manufacturer's sustainability strategy.
Porsche has already invested more than a hundred million dollars in the development and production of eFuels. For example, in April 2022, the sports car maker invested $75 million USD in HIF Global LLC. The company plans, builds, and runs eFuel plants in Chile, US and Australia.
Source: Porsche
