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eFuels pilot plant in Chile officially opened : wind energy enable the nearly CO~2~-neutral operation of petrol engines
(lemmy.world)
20/12/2022
Porsche and international partners working with the Chilean operating company Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF) have started the industrial production of synthetic fuels.
https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2022/company/porsche-highly-innovative-fuels-hif-opening-efuels-pilot-plant-haru-oni-chile-synthetic-fuels-30732.html
The more interesting approach is synmethanol, particularly via electrosynthesis. Only half of energy density of gasoline, and suitable for fuel cells, including DMFCs.
Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) still have low power densities ... so maybe we should look at molten carbonate fuel cells or simple heat engines ? Anyway, synmethanol looks great !
Haber-Bosch for fertilizer, Fischer-Tropsch for synfuel.
But, really, we need something with mild conditions and preferably something directly electrosynthesis driven. Large potential for improvement in both.
The Haber-Bosch approach to breaking the nitrogen triple bond takes a lot of energy in terms of high pressure and temperature which is not present in the product, hence wasted. Ammonia is a fertilizer either as gas or as ammonium nitrate, and too precious to burn.
Another random fact: half of the combustion enthalpy present in liquid hydrogen has been spent on its liquification.