Exploring Alternative Fuels for a Greener, Carbon-Neutral Future

The most popular alternative fuel is electricity, but there are some tasks that can’t be electrified. This means studying alternative fuels for a greener future.

Automakers understand the need to build vehicles that are more efficient than ever before. Many are working toward a large number of electric vehicles, which are just fine for the average consumer but not for extremely heavy loads, harsh climates, or long-range driving. For these tasks, electrified vehicles are impractical. For this reason, many companies are working on the development of carbon-neutral fuels that don’t harm the environment while delivering the power and performance required for the most challenging drives.

Here are some of the alternative fuel options scientists are currently working on.

Cellulosic Ethanol

Originally, biofuels were supposed to be the future of removing carbon from fuels used for vehicles, but that hasn’t been the case. In fact, using corn to grow fuel that would eventually absorb the CO2 while being grown became a bad idea. Ethanol made from corn reduced the corn supply used for food or livestock.

Cellulosic ethanol is a much different story. This fuel is made from lignin in corn stalks, which makes it extremely useful. In most corn fields, the stalk is simply left until the farmer tills the soil for the next planting season. These unused stalks can be made into fuel that could become the future of biofuels. Lignin can also come from grasses or other waste products that would be left to rot. To date, the process of manufacturing this fuel can’t compete profitably with the cheapness of oil.

Biobutanol

An even better choice as an alternative fuel is biobutanol. This product can almost directly replace gasoline, which means it could be used easily and made using hydrogen, which means it’s a clean process. Green hydrogen production is done using coffee ground and spirits-distilling byproducts and this has shown promise in the future of fuel for vehicles. Biobutanol could be much better for high-energy needs such as heavy loads.

eMethanol

Methanol could be a fantastic fuel to replace gasoline, but its toxic and has a corrosive effect on aluminum, which shut down research into this fuel. An Australian company called Obrist Group claims they can create a new form of methanol using solar and electrolysis. This new form of methanol is called eMethanol and is clamed to be the world’s first carbon-negative fuel, but the company is short on specifics or when production could begin.

Carbon-Neutral e-Gasoline

Porsche has been working on a new type of fuel for the past few years and has incorporated it into its racing program. In fact, Porsche is running this program on 100% carbon-neutral e-gasoline, which is produced using direct carbon capture powered by wind. This is a type of eFuel or electrochemical fuel that can directly replace gasoline and allow drivers to continue to drive their internal combustion vehicles. The HIF Global plant is producing nearly 35,000 gallons of eFuel per year right now. This fuel is extremely expensive compared to regular gasoline but could become an alternative fuel of the future.

Titanium Fuel Forge

Prometheus Fuels takes the HIF process and cuts out some of the more energy-intensive steps to create a more affordable type of ethanol. This fuel is created using a catalytic electrolysis system that creates the ethanol from a solution of CO2 in water. The process separates the ethanol via a carbon-nanotube membrane, which saves the energy of distillation.

Gasoline from Methane

Nacero had plans to create gasoline from methane that would normally be flared at oil fields. This would make it essentially carbon neutral if converted using green energy. The company has shifted its focus to airplane fuel, which could be good for the future of interstate trucking. Powering airplanes and driving long-haul runs in large semi-trucks doesn’t seem feasible for electrification, which means green fuel could be a huge benefit in these areas.

Nuclear Fusion

In the distant future, nearly everything could be powered by nuclear fusion if scientists can figure out how to harness the sun’s internal power source. This isn’t something we expect to see in the next ten or fifteen years, but we might see it twenty or thirty years down the road.

The future of fueling large trucks and heavy equipment needs to be done using carbon-neutral alternative fuel options. Unfortunately, nothing is quite as affordable or effective as gasoline and diesel fuel yet. That said, there could be a new fuel for big commercial vehicles to use in the distant future.