Porsche begins construction of eFuel plant
Porsche has started construction of an eFuel plant in Punta Arenas, Chile.
Built in collaboration with technology firm Siemens, the plant is where Porsche will manufacture the synthetic fuel. It’s expected to produce around 130,000 litres of the nearly CO2-neutral fuel next year, after which capacity will be expanded in two stages.
It’ll rise to around 55 million litres by 2024 and then to around 550 million litres by 2026.
Michael Steiner, member of the executive board for research and development at Porsche AG, said: “Porsche was founded with pioneering spirit. That’s what drives us, we thrive on innovation. We also see ourselves as pioneers when it comes to renewable fuels, and we want to drive development forward.
“This fits in with our clear overall sustainability strategy. It means that Porsche as a whole can be net CO2 neutral as early as 2030. Fuels produced with renewable energy can make a contribution to this. Our icon, the 911, is particularly suitable for the use of eFuels.”
The development of eFuels, according to Steiner, will allow Porsche to ‘reduce fossil CO2 emissions in combustion engines by up to 90 per cent’.
The first batch of fuel will be used in the firm’s Mobil 1 Supercup race cars from 2022.
The site has been chosen for its climate, with the winds in the province ideal for providing green power to the site. In its first step, electrolysers split water into oxygen and hydrogen using wind power. Then, CO2 is filtered from the air and combined with the hydrogen to provide synthetic methanol, which is then converted into eFuels.
