Porsche begins synthetic fuel production in Chile

Taking advantage of the strong winds in Chile, Porsche has begun eFuel production under a pilot project in the Haru Oni plant in Punta Arenas. 

With winds blowing 270 days a year, the renewable energy fueling the project allows the production of eFuels from water and CO2. 

Porsche foresees huge potential in the synthetic fuel industry, as there are currently over 1.3 billion internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles worldwide, which must be removed from roads to reach global sustainability goals. 

The pilot project aims to produce around 130,000 litres of eFuel annually, and the fuel is initially to be used in Porsche's Experience Centers and Mobil 1 Supercup race cars. Following the pilot project, Porsche wants to reach a capacity of 55 million litres per litre by the middle of the decade. Around 2027, the aim is to reach a total of 550 million litres. 

According to Porsche, synthetic fuels have 8-10 components, while fuels used today have around 40. While synthetic fuels create no by-products, Porsche expects an 85% reduction in CO2 emissions thanks to eFuels. 

Main photo: Porsche