12 January 2023
Porsche has started the initial production of synthetic fuels in a plant in Punta Arena, Chile. In 2020 Porsche invested €20million as a fledgling investment with Siemens Energy; they then invested a further €75 million in 2022, giving them a 12.5% shareholding in HIF Global, the holding company for eFuel development.
And the fuel has been tested in a Porsche; no points for guessing which model, of course, none other than the 911.
Porsche has called their synthetic fuel eFuel; it is nearly CO2 neutral and, most importantly, will be usable in un-modified internal combustion engines.
For the technically minded, the final product is methanol, which is created by splitting water (H2O) by electrolysis into oxygen and green hydrogen; CO2 is added to the hydrogen, and the methanol is converted to eFuel, using wind energy. Simple, eh?
If approved, there are enormous potential benefits; ships, planes, commercial vehicles, and legacy cars could still be used and, of course, in Formula 1.
Maybe it’s a coincidence that Porsche wants to join F1 in 2025.
