Europe could meet its entire road transport fuel demand from renewable sources by 2040 – and more than half of it by 2030. This is according to calculations by researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Their findings suggest that the European Union has sufficient residual and waste materials to supply the entire road transport sector with climate-neutral liquid fuels. For the study, the researchers investigated the quantities of biogenic raw materials – that is, plant residues, wood waste or bio-waste – available in Europe, how these can be technically converted into renewable fuels, and what the future fuel requirements of road transport will be.
A decisive break from dependence
“In the long term, Europe has sufficient sustainable resources to ensure mobility without fossil oil,” says Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice-President for Technology Transfer and International Affairs at KIT. “Given the current uncertainties on the international energy markets, this is good news. If we make efficient use of residual and waste materials, we can make road transport less dependent on energy imports whilst reducing CO₂ emissions.”
The diversity of renewable raw materials makes Europe more independent
The study, commissioned by BMW AG, was based on the framework conditions required to meet the ambitious targets of the Paris Climate Agreement. It is based on a favourable scenario, the conditions for which still need to be created, in part, by policymakers and society. The study shows that particularly large quantities of residual and waste materials can be utilised – for example, straw from agriculture, wood residues from forestry or biogenic waste. Added to this are catch crops – plants grown between two harvests – as well as energy crops that grow on low-yielding soils and do not compete with food production.
This diversity ensures that the raw material base remains stable and is not dependent on a single substance: “Many people believe that used cooking oil is the main source of renewable fuels. In fact, it accounts for only around one per cent of the raw material portfolio,” says Professor Thomas Koch from the Institute for Reciprocating Machinery (IFKM) at KIT, who led the study. “The truly significant potential lies, for example, in plant residues and wood fibres. These materials are produced as a by-product anyway – and can provide sufficient climate-friendly fuels. However, this can only succeed if the production of advanced reFuels biofuels is given the necessary priority by policymakers and society.”
From waste to fuel
The researchers investigated several technical approaches for producing usable fuels from biomass. These include the HVO process (HVO stands for ‘Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil’), in which oil-containing residues are hydrogenated to produce a diesel substitute, as well as methanol-based processes. In these processes, plant residues are first converted into a gas as an intermediate product, which is then further processed into petrol or diesel substitutes. “Using these processes, we can produce high-quality fuels from a wide variety of waste materials,” says Professor Nicolaus Dahmen from the Institute for Catalysis Research and Development at KIT. “This is important because Europe has access to a wide range of biomass. The technologies continue to work even if the mix of raw materials changes.”
Whilst HVO is already available at the petrol pump, fuels produced using other processes are still under development. They are already being produced at KIT and tested in cars. The tried-and-tested processes can also be used to produce large quantities of fuel. The study also shows that adding hydrogen significantly increases the yield once again.
Despite the rise of electric vehicles, liquid fuel remains important
Even though Europe is pursuing a very ambitious electrification programme, there remains a significant demand for liquid fuels, according to Dr Olaf Toedter of the IFKM. “Many vehicles will remain in use for a long time to come. For this existing fleet, renewable fuels offer a direct way of avoiding CO₂ emissions.”
What the study examines – and what it does not
The analysis examines which sustainable raw materials are available in Europe, how these can be converted into renewable fuels using various technical processes, and what quantities might be produced as a result. It is based on the framework conditions required to meet the ambitious targets of the Paris Climate Agreement. In the study, the researchers refer to a favourable scenario, the conditions for which still need to be created in part by policymakers and society. It also examines how vehicle fleets are likely to develop in the coming years, what proportion of transport renewable fuels could replace, and what competition exists from other sectors such as industry, energy, aviation and shipping.
KIT carried out the study in collaboration with the DBFZ (German Biomass Research Centre, a non-profit limited liability company) and the companies Freyberger engineering GmbH and BMW AG, on behalf of BMW AG.
About the study
