Trip to Iceland, where research on fuels for more sustainable mobility is progressing

To decarbonise the economy, sustainable mobility is a priority.With Mazda, the first manufacturer to join the eFuel Alliance, we went to Iceland to understand how research on alternative fuels is progressing.

That theIceland, together with Costa Rica, Norway and Paraguay, are among the four countries that are demonstrating to the world how it is possible to use almost exclusively renewable energy to supply families, businesses and mobility with electricity, it has been known for years.In Iceland almost all electricity comes from renewable energy sources, much of it produced by hydroelectric power plants, the rest comes from geothermal, thanks to which almost 90 percent of Icelandic families heat themselves;the secret is the geothermal hot water coming from underground, which is conveyed and brought into the houses through a system of pipes.Yes, the Icelanders were the first in the world to implement this system, which helped transform a society dependent on coal into one of the most energetically virtuous countries.

#H2020Energy project @DEEPEGS_demo has drilled into a heart of a volcano in search of #geothermal energy https://t.co/u16c8cTTfm away @wef pic.twitter.com/LB1KFiUYGt

— CINEA🇪🇺 (@cinea_eu) April 10, 2017

The same Iceland that for years has begun, amidst lights and shadows, the construction of the largest plant in the world for CO2 capture, capable of absorbing 4 thousand tons of carbon dioxide from the air in a year, transforming it into rock, the equivalent of the emissions of approximately 870 cars.And precisely on the subject of cars and mobility, we went to Iceland to understand what stage the research on so-called synthetic fuels is at e-fuel, which can be produced from renewable sources, or by capturing CO2 from the air and thus transforming greenhouse gases into a resource.Maybe using hydrogen, green obviously.

The topic is debated, and further down we will understand why.In the meantime, however, solutions such ase-methanol and other alternative fuels with similar characteristics have many advantages:they can be sold through the existing network of petrol stations, are capable of fueling any vehicle (from cars to airplanes) and ensure the climate neutrality of internal combustion engines.An evocative journey, promoted not surprisingly by Mazda, which has been in parallel with the progressive electrification the first car manufacturer to join the eFuel alliance which brings together organizations and stakeholders who support the promotion ofhydrogen and neutral e-fuels for reducing emissions in the transport sector.

Why did Mazda choose Iceland to talk about e-fuel?

A premise.On the fuels that allow decarbonisation, first of all the so-called recycled carbon fuels introduced by Renewable Energy Directive Red II many see a future alternative to the purely electric car, especially if the fuels are produced by the treatment of waste that is not otherwise recyclable, such as ethanol, methanol and circular hydrogen obtained thanks to technology waste to fuels.Iceland not only has an abundance of clean, renewable energy thanks to its extraordinary geography and geology which provides both hydro and geothermal resources.But a few kilometers from the capital Reykjavic there is the system George Olah renewable methanol plant, a pilot project in the field of carbon capture and utilization, the first industrial-scale production site to use carbon dioxide as a resource for the production of methanol.

e-fuels, a possible energy transition.Or not?

Let's make a point first.The ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2035 has pushed Italy and other countries (Germany at the forefront) in the direction of allowing the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines even beyond the stop, provided that they are powered by e-fuel.The debate, which continues in various places, concerns the real sustainability of these fuels, which is obtained when they are produced with renewable energy.Only in this way, in fact, is it possible to compensate for harmful emissions, making them CO2 neutral overall.

The doubt of the experts? That e-fuels should be reserved only for mobility sectors that are difficult to decarbonise, such as maritime transport and aviation, whose electrification compared to cars is more complex (and currently not achievable). Although less virtuous than an electric car, these fuels can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, because they use recycled CO2 and renewable energy, are compatible with existing internal combustion engines and do not require new technologies.However, in the face of criticality such as the still high cost and the notable energy electricity necessary for their production;in fact, not all countries have the energy framework of Iceland.

There is methanol and methanol, let's try to understand

Better clarify. There is methanol and methanol.As we explain in our "read also" below, this type of alcohol can be produced starting from coal, natural gas, biomass and "captured" carbon dioxide.If we think about decarbonization we must only think about "green" methanol, as in the case of the one produced in Iceland.So let's go back to our visit to the site George Olah, a demonstration plant that has not been operational for years but is active for demonstration purposes and for research purposes.Among its unique features is the electricity that powers it, generated in a nearby geothermal power plant which involves the capture of CO2 from the ground. How does it work? Carbon dioxide is purified to make it suitable for the synthesis of methanol, produced thanks to the hydrogen generated by the electrolysis of water and carbon dioxide and reacted catalytically to form methanol.Geothermal steam also comes into play in the processes.

The good news is that in this way no toxic by-products are created from the production process, since the only chemical substance released is oxygen following the electrolysis process and water.An independent audit showed that thanks to the Icelandic project, the methanol produced with this process would allow a 90 percent reduction compared to the carbon dioxide emissions produced by a comparable quantity of fossil fuels, whether petrol or diesel.In short, i advantages they would be technical, economic and environmental (in addition to emissions, the process does not require arable land or agricultural resources).

What is the approach multi-solution and because Mazda has supported it for years

Combining different technologies in order to reduce car emissions.In short, what many call technological neutrality, an approach common to some automotive manufacturers which, while recognizing electrification as "a decisive pillar of the brand's strategy", as cited in a note from Mazda (a Japanese brand which has announced a range of completely electrified vehicles by 2030), sees in the - fuel with zero climate impact and produced from renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro or geothermal and carbon dioxide), a possible way to contribute to the decarbonisation of transport.Of course, unlike fully electric cars, which have no local emissions, here the problem of nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions partially remains, albeit significantly reduced compared to conventional fuels.

​Traveling between narrow fjords overlooking the ocean and jagged peaks aboard the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV

Finally, all we have to do is tell you about almost 600 kilometers of this Epic Drive Iceland, a trip in one go, to be done in one day, which on the one hand allowed us to return to the theme of alternative fuels and, on the other, to discover the impressive and scenic scenery of the Icelandic landscape through fjords and pristine valleys.A'Iceland to be discovered in silence, in electric mode, perhaps with the windows lowered to better see those small bays and bays at the foot of the valleys, where the population once practiced fishing and where over the centuries tiny villages have formed, today almost all depopulated, but for this reason even more evocative .

A silent Iceland, it was said, exciting with its magnificent landscapes long and narrow fjords overlooking the ocean, to be discovered for the occasion on easily passable roads thanks to the optimal road conditions, where snow and ice have only made rare appearances.A relaxing trip, slow, aboard a car plug-in hybrid particularly virtuous, the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV.Among its uniquenesses, the rotary engine petrol engine with only 830 cc of displacement, small and light, supported by a second 170 horsepower electric motor (the only one that acts on the wheels) and a 17.8 kWh battery.A particularly compact hybrid system, which offers an electric range of over 80 kilometres:not many to be honest, but enough to get close, without disturbing, to the island's fauna for one last, essential selfie.