MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil and Porsche are testing advanced biofuels and renewable, lower-carbon eFuels, as part of a new agreement to find pathways toward potential future consumer adoption, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
The first iteration of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel is a blend of primarily advanced biofuels and is specially formulated by ExxonMobil’s in-house team of scientists and engineers. Analysis indicates the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a liquid fuel. The fuel will be tested in race conditions with Porsche’s high-performance motorsports engines during the 2021 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race series.
Porsche and ExxonMobil’s collaboration will also focus on eFuels, which are synthetic fuels made from hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide. As early as 2022, the companies plan to test the second iteration of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, which will contain eFuel components. The eFuel is anticipated to achieve a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of up to 85 percent, when blended to current market fuel standards for today’s passenger vehicles.
The eFuel will be sourced from the Haru Oni pilot plant based in Chile that generates hydrogen, which is then combined with captured carbon dioxide drawn from the atmosphere to produce methanol. ExxonMobil is providing a license and support for the proprietary technology to convert the methanol to gasoline, which will result in a lower-carbon fuel.
In the pilot phase, around 35,000 gallons of eFuels will be produced in 2022. As the fuel’s primary user, Porsche will use the eFuels from Chile among others in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup starting in the season of 2022. The first on-track testing of Esso Renewable Racing Fuel is scheduled for March 30, 2021 in Zandvoort, Netherlands, and will continue throughout the 2021 and 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race series.
The collaboration with Porsche builds on ExxonMobil’s continuing efforts to develop and deploy lower-emission energy solutions, including high-efficiency fuels and lubricants, advanced plastics and other products that can enable cars and trucks to use less fuel. For example, the two companies have collaborated on a line of specially formulated lubricants for the electric vehicles market, Mobil EVTM range.
In January, ExxonMobil announced the creation of a new business, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, to commercialize its extensive low-carbon technology portfolio and plans to invest USD3 billion on lower emission energy solutions through 2025. Last year, ExxonMobil announced plans to distribute renewable diesel within California and potentially other domestic and international markets as soon as 2022.
Over the past two decades, ExxonMobil has invested more than USD10 billion to research, develop and deploy lower-emission energy solutions, resulting in highly efficient operations that have eliminated or avoided approximately 480 million tonnes of CO2 emissions - the equivalent of taking more than 100 million passenger vehicles off the road for a year.
Porsche is committed to invest USD17.9 billion in electromobility and digitalization by 2025. In 2030 the sports car manufacturer will offer more than 80 percent of its vehicles with electric engines. The company seeks carbon neutrality in its products and operations by 2030, investing around USD1.2 billion in sustainable mobility.
As per MRC, Plastic Energy (London, UK) is collaborating with ExxonMobil on a new recycling plant in France, which is anticipate to start up in 2023. The new facility will convert post-consumer plastic waste into raw materials for the manufacture of virgin-quality polymers. Plastic Energy and ExxonMobil have been developing plans since 2018. A final investment decision on this project is expected in mid-2021 with startup anticipated in 2023.
According to MRC"s ScanPlast report, January 2021 estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics in Russia rose by 12% year on year, totalling 45,640 tonnes. The estimated consumption increased year on year for all PS grades.
ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world"s oil and about 2% of the world"s energy.
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