Synthetic Fuels Explained: Is There Such A Thing As Carbon Neutral ...

> Synthetic fuel v regular unleaded: sustainable petrol put to the test

However, despite all the virtues, the unavoidable truth is that some forms of transport do not suit electrification. These are heavy load and long distance: container shipping, long-haul aircraft and long-distance road transport. The fundamental issue is that the energy density of current battery technology is poor compared to the liquid fuels currently used – diesel, bunker fuel and jet fuel – and would require such a volume and mass of batteries that they would be infeasible. For instance, according to Airbus, even with batteries 30 times more energy dense, an electric-powered A320 would only be able to fly for a fifth of the range of the current jet-engined A320 while carrying half its payload. 

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Aviation, long-distance shipping and road haulage aren’t going to go away, and even with improved fuel efficiencies they will still burn fossil fuels and generate CO2. This is why developments in carbon-neutral synthetic fuels could be so valuable, and the benefits could be enjoyed by petrol, diesel and hybrid cars too. 

UK-based fuel specialists Coryton has already launched its first sustainable fuel, available for public purchase at Bicester Heritage. Formulated for classic vehicles, it's priced from £3.80 per litre, rising to £5.24 per litre for a race-spec 102RON Racing 50 equivalent.

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Who is developing this technology?

One of the companies developing carbon-neutral synthetic fuels is Bosch. It points out that around half the cars that will be on the road in 2030 have already been sold, most with petrol or diesel engines. ‘These legacy vehicles will also have their part to play in cutting CO2 emissions,’ it says. Even if volumes of carbon-neutral fuels are still ramping up, they are completely compatible with current fossil fuels and can be added to reduce the CO2 emissions, helping achieve climate change objectives. And for enthusiasts it offers hope that we can continue to use cars with internal combustion engines long after sales of new ICE cars have been banned. 

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