The "Haru Oni" pilot plant in Punta Arenas (Chile) was officially opened today in the presence of Chilean Energy Minister Diego Pardow. Porsche Executive Board members Barbara Frenkel and Michael Steiner performed the ceremonial refueling of a Porsche 911 with the first locally produced synthetic fuel.
eFuels produced from water and carbon dioxide using wind energy enable petrol engines to run almost CO2-neutrally.
Porsche with truly CO2-neutral fuel
"Porsche is focusing on a double E: electromobility and eFuels. The use of eFuels reduces CO2 emissions. With a view to the entire transport sector, the industrial production of synthetic fuels should be further promoted worldwide. With the eFuels pilot plant, Porsche is playing a driving role in this development," says Barbara Frenkel, Board Member for Procurement at Porsche AG.
"The potential of eFuels is huge. There are more than 1.3 billion combustion vehicles in the world today. Many of them will still be on the road for decades to come. eFuels offer the owners of existing vehicles a perspective. As a manufacturer of high-performance and efficient engines, Porsche has extensive expertise in the field of fuels," adds Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Development and Research at Porsche AG.
In the pilot phase, eFuels production of around 130,000 liters per year is planned. The fuel will initially be used in lighthouse projects such as the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and in the Porsche Experience Centers. After the pilot phase, the project in Chile is expected to reach around 55 million liters per year with initial scaling by the middle of the decade. Around two years later, the capacity is expected to reach 550 million liters.
The south of Chile offers ideal conditions for the production of eFuels: the wind blows on around 270 days a year, allowing wind turbines to run at full capacity. Punta Arenas is also located in the immediate vicinity of the Strait of Magellan. From the port of Cabo Negro, the synthetic eFuel can be transported all over the world in the same way as conventional fuels and distributed via the existing infrastructure.
Porsche is working towards a CO2-neutral value chain in 2030. This also includes a carbon-neutral use phase for future fully electric models. Synthetic fuels complement electromobility and are part of the sports car manufacturer's sustainability strategy.
To date, Porsche has invested a total of over 100 million US dollars in the development and provision of eFuels. In April 2022, the sports car manufacturer invested 75 million dollars in HIF Global LLC. This company plans, builds and operates eFuel plants in Chile, the USA and Australia.
eFuel soon to be available in Berlin
Independently of the Porsche announcement, it was also reported that the filling station operator "Sprint" will soon be offering synthetic fuel. In future, the fuel will be available to end consumers at petrol pumps in Berlin. Via an app, users will immediately receive proof that they have filled up with certified fuel that can be used and mixed without restriction and is of high quality - also in paper form if required.
