Australia will soon produce synthetic gasoline and LPG, thanks to the construction of a new facility in northwest Tasmania.
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Tasmania will soon be home to the first synthetic fuel plant in Australia.
The global synthetic fuel company HIF, which has received financial support from Porsche, has announced the creation of HIF Tasmania, with the island state that will produce up to 100 million liters of carbon-neutral synthetic fuel per year.
Synthetic fuels (or eFuels) are made by collecting CO2 from the environment, and then using renewable electricity to create hydrogen and combine it with the captured CO2 to produce different products used in cars and planes.
The idea is that vehicles will only emit CO2 that had already been captured and removed from the environment, instead of releasing new CO2 into the atmosphere by burning petroleum-derived hydrocarbons.
HIF Tasmania says it will produce “eGasoline” as a replacement for unleaded gasoline for use in cars, as well as LPG and aircraft fuel.
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“Porsche is investing in an attractive business area with its stake in HIF Global,” said Michael Steiner, a member of Porsche’s Research and Development Executive Board, in April 2022.
“Synthetic fuels offer attractive prospects in the transportation sectors, from the automotive industry to the aviation and shipping sectors.”
Instead of capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, the Tasmania facility, located about 30 miles south of Burnie, will collect CO2 from biogenic sources, which could include combustion, decomposition or processing of bio-based materials.
The company says it will save 260,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually when the plant becomes operational in mid-2026.
“Our global plan is to produce more than eight billion gallons a year of carbon-neutral eFuels, enough to decarbonise five million vehicles,” HIF Global CEO Cesar Norton said in the announcement.
“Australia has exceptional renewable energy resources that can be transformed into liquid fuels and used in existing engines,” he said.
“Today, we begin the first step in Tasmania to produce hydrogen from renewable energy sources, capture carbon dioxide from a biogenic source, and produce highly competitive eFuels that will be the carbon-neutral energy of tomorrow.”
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The news comes just days after the European Union agreed on a bill that would force a 100% reduction in new car exhaust pipe emissions by 2035, but with a last-minute exemption for engines. internal combustion powered by eFuels.
Pressure from Germany and Japan, home to many of the world’s largest carmakers, is believed to have led to the availability of synthetic fuels, which are expected to help reduce the carbon footprint of some countries. they have neither the infrastructure nor the financial capacity to switch to electricity. vehicles within the legally established deadlines.
In addition to the potential environmental benefits, the Tasmania facility could also play a key role in Australia’s fuel security, with most of the country’s fuel currently refined overseas and vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. supply.
HIF Tasmania says construction of its plant will begin in 2024 and “[prioritise] local employment and technology ”.
Ben Zachariah is an experienced Melbourne motoring writer and journalist who has worked in the automotive industry for over 15 years. Previously, Ben was an interstate truck driver and completed his MBA in finance in early 2021. He is considered an expert in the area of classic car investment.
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