Cars will use water and carbon dioxide from 2035

Fuels produced with raw materials... water and carbon dioxide will be used by internal combustion engine cars in the EU from 2035, as part of the EU's anti-pollution policy agreed last week at the Council of Energy Ministers.

The new rules set the following objectives:

55% reduction in CO2 emissions for new cars and 50% for new trucks from 2030 to 2034 compared to 2021 levels
100% reduction in CO2 emissions for both new cars and trucks from 2035

The original wording of the relevant Regulation practically led to the sale of exclusively electric new vehicles in the EU from 2035, putting an end to internal combustion engines. But the compromise reached after pressure from Germany, Italy and other countries allows internal combustion engines to be retained after 2035, provided they use climate-neutral fuels. The practical steps for the implementation of the agreement will be clarified by the autumn of 2024, probably with the addition of a new category of vehicles (those that will run exclusively on climate neutral fuels, e-fuels) to the Regulation on vehicle emissions (Euro 6).

In statements to APE-MPE, the director of Energy Policy and International Relations of HELLENiQ ENERGY, Liana Gouta, pointed out:

"This is a decision of vital importance to achieve the goal of zero carbon emissions in road transport. Now, in addition to electrification, another new technology is added to the EU's arsenal - the use of synthetic fuels - which will accelerate the energy transition, reduce emissions, not only in new vehicles but also in the approximately 250 million conventional carsinternal combustion vehicles that will continue to circulate on European roads in 2030, while providing alternatives to those citizens who will not be able to access an electric vehicle. The fuel industry is ready to respond to this new challenge of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable fuels, which are also part of the "Vision 2025" Strategy that HELLENiQ ENERGY Group has already begun to implement."

E -fuels are produced from hydrogen extracted from water through electrolysis, which uses energy from renewable sources. The so-called green hydrogen is then converted into liquid fuel (gasoline, oil, kerosene) through CO2 taken from the atmosphere.

Since the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from the use of e-fuels is the one committed for their production, it is considered that these fuels are climate neutral. Additional advantages are that they can be used by the existing vehicle fleet without conversion, are easily stored and transported at normal temperature and pressure conditions, from the existing fuel supply network of consumers.

(AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)