FAQ

e-Fuels are a direct, sustainable substitute for all common fossil-based fuels created from two components – water and CO2 - through electrochemical reaction.

Their chemical composition is almost identical to fossil-based fuels. However, e-Fuels have the advantage of being cleaner. They neither contain sulfur nor so-called aromatic hydrocarbons. This means that when used in a combustion engine, they burn without creating soot particles, which also have a negative impact on the environment. This is specifically advantageous in industries where other carbon reductions measures are difficult e.g. through direct electrification. This is why Norsk e-Fuel focuses on the aviation sector. 

Due to their chemical composition, which is basically identical to the composition of fossil-based fuels, e-Fuels can be used today without an changes – no new aircrafts have to be built and existing international infrastructures for refueling can be used.

In theory and since Norsk e-Fuel, in a first step, produces a crude substitute, which can be then refined into any kind of fuel, different sectors such as the aviation, shipping or automotive industry can be accommodated. And not only the transportation can benefit from the products produced in our Power-to-Liquid product but also the chemical and cosmetics industry.

We at Norsk e-Fuel focus on the so-called hard-to-abate sectors, meaning the sectors where the avoidance of CO2 is not easily possible. Thus, Norsk e-Fuels primary target market is the aviation industry, where currently no commercial scale alternatives are available.

Norsk e-Fuel is developing a so-called Power-to-Liquid (PtL) production process. This describes the technical process of converting water and CO2 into liquid fuels. Overall, renewable electricity is used to split water (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen (H2 and O) and Carbon dioxide (CO2) into Carbon Monoxide (CO). The H2 and the CO are then combined into a so-called syngas. The syngas is fed into a synthesis process where pressure and temperature lead to the combination of the H2+CO blocks into a crude substitute. The renewable, synthetic crude oil can then be treated in refining units and transformed into various fuels.

The process itself can be achieved via different technology pathways. Norsk e-Fuel is following two separate approaches both including the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Read more under technology.

Simply said, direct air capture refers to the extraction of CO2 from the atmosphere. To learn more, visit our technology section. 

Capturing carbon dioxide from point source is one approach to make CO2 available for the PtL production. However, the emittance of industrial CO2 is, in most cases, related to the use of fossil-based resources. Our goal is it to create truly renewable fuels and contribute to a circular economy. In addition, as industries turn towards more sustainable ways of production, it is expected that there will be fewer point sources available in the future. DAC is therefore also our way to be independent of industrial CO2 suppliers and go to locations that have other, more favorable conditions, such as an abundance of renewable electricity.

We will need every measure to tackle the climate crisis. Carbon Capture and Storage is a good solution of storing CO2 permanently and either removing it from the air or capturing new emissions before they enter the atmosphere in the first place. However, we will still be relying on liquid energy carriers in the future and Carbon Capture and Utlization (CCU) such as Power-to-Liquid is one necessary contribution to that. To achieve climate goals and further the energy transition, both industries can and should work hand-in-hand, especially regarding the creation of infrastructure building and regulatory frameworks.

In our production process, we only use CO2 from direct aircapture and biogenic sources. Together with renewable electricity and water, the CO2 captured from the atmosphere will be upgraded to liquid fuels that can be used in existing means of transportation such as airplanes. When used in the combustion engine, the CO2 will be again released to the atmosphere, where it can be caught via DAC or absorbed by plants. As this can be repeated infinitely, such fuels are carbon neutral and renewable.

Our electricity is 100% renewable Norwegian electricity. To not put a strain on the existing grid, we are evaluating locations that have underutilized hydro and wind power – i.e. places with large production, but lack sufficient transmission grid infrastructure to transport it to consumption centres.