the use of forest waste and organic waste

The increased consumption of fuel on the planet has recently replaced the limited availability of petroleum products in the heart of the concerns of the automotive sector. Moreover, higher prices of petroleum products also promotes the search for other solutions. These include two main streams: fuels of plant origin, on the one hand, and the synthetic, on the other hand. They bring significant gains in emissions of pollutants and CO2 without calling into question the technical and economic structures of the automotive sector.

Take-off for the E85

Ethanol-based biofuels have the wind in its sails. Great user of alcohol-based fuel, the Brazil produced ethanol from its huge plantations of sugar cane. Implanted manufacturers locally adapted their engines so that they work with this fuel. Solutions therefore exist, it is sufficient to transpose them in Europe, what did Ford. The Spain is currently a major producer of ethanol. The latter can also be produced from biomass, i.e. the use of forest waste and organic waste. The production of ethanol by the ci sector is more efficient and requires less energy. Because it is the low point of the ethanol production application sometimes almost as much energy than that contained in the volume of ethanol considered. In all cases, the production of alternative fuel must be interpreted taking into account both the emissions of the vehicle itself and the whole of the sector, in a study called the "well to wheel". Ford estimates that operating with E85 biofuel, its Focus reject 70 of CO2 less than their counterparts to gasoline throughout the cycle "from the well to wheel". Unfortunately, this does not translate for the motorist, by a decrease in fuel consumption, far from it! Indeed, due to the lower energy power of E85, fuel consumption increases of 20 to 25. Which reduces all autonomy. There is therefore, through taxation on fuels, to compensate for this over-consumption. And Ford promotes the Swedish example subject: per litre of E85 is sold the equivalent of 80 euro cents. In addition, parking is free for this type of vehicle, and they are exempt from the necessary to enter into Stockholm congestion. If the vehicle is purchased in respect of a company, it sees the tax on vehicles of company reduced by half. It is an interesting approach. In France, Ford has already sold seven Focus "bioflex" to the General Council of the Marne which installed a pump of E85 in its own premises. And Ford indicates that contact with other local communities took on the Challenge Bibendum.

The International Energy Agency estimated that the global resources of biomass to produce biofuels such as ethanol could meet two-thirds of the energy needs of the world of transport. The potential of ethanol could be produced in the United States would be able to replace half of the 530 billion litres of gasoline currently consumed each year in the United States.

With cleaner fuels to facilitate pollution

With regard to diesel engines, the German manufacturers rely on SunDiesel, liquefaction of biomass (BTL) from fuel. "From our estimates, SunDiesel could cover 20 of total needs fuel in Europe" had indicated, end of 2004, Prof. Dr. Herbert Kohler, responsible for the environment in DaimlerChrysler. EUCar study had pointed out the performance of the BTL fuels in terms of reduction of CO2 emissions, up to 80, then only the best biodiesel from of rapeseed oil are close to 50... But the production of fuel on a large scale by the BTL sector, as well as from coal (CTL) is not easy. On the other hand, the GTL (gas to liquid) die seems easier to implement.

GTL production comes, using neutral, the fermentation of biomass and gas recovery. Then, it is converted to liquid by using the WSSD (Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis) process Shell has developed for its GTL products. It is a process of conversion of gas fuel liquid based on the Fischer Tropsch method. The Anglo-Dutch tanker has a production capacity of 14.700 barrels per day of liquid products of high quality. Shell has a Fischer Tropsch GTL facility at low temperature in Bintulu in Malaysia.

These products are already incorporated in diesel V-Max Power marketed by Shell in many European countries.

The product of the GTL contains virtually no sulfur, or aromatic compounds. He brings a gain in emissions (particles, NOx, CO and HC). Moreover, index of cetane (which measures the quality of diesel) this product is much higher than the usual diesel fuel: 75-80 against 55 for the best petroleum diesel. The use of such fuel in existing diesel engines would bring a spectacular gain in emissions.

Moreover, as this fuel comes from gas, it allows to diversify sources of energy supply. A V-Power Diesel, benefiting from this technology GTL diesel is used by Audi for the R10 TDI committed this year in the 24 hours of le Mans.

In General, synthetic fuels, whether of BTL and GTL, allow a transition to renewable fuels of the future.

In addition to Shell, other oil tankers are active in this area of the "new fuels": BioPetrol and Vopak will build the largest biodiesel manufacturing plant. For their part, Repsol YPF and Acciona Energia will invest almost EUR 300 million for the establishment of six units for the manufacture of biodiesel in Spain. Production capacity would be more of one million tonnes per year, equivalent to 20,000 barrels per day. The first manufacturing sites will be operational in mid-2007. Repsol considers that these volumes of fuel could avoid the emission of about 3 million tonnes of CO2 in 2010.

End of 2004, the cost of production of synthetic fuel was estimated at 1 per litre, but excluding tax. It was about two times more expensive than the litre of fuel fossil.

More generally, Volkswagen estimated that synthesis fuels open the door to new combustion systems such as the HCCI, controlled autogenous combustion, to halfway between the cycle diesel and cycle gasoline. And the number one European said that by 2030, the consumption of fuels in Europe could no longer be based on the petroleum products at 60. The rest would come from the SynFuel a GTL fuel substitute for gasoline, and the SunFuel for diesel engines. The scenario provides for even a tiny bit of hydrogen from 2020.

And synthetic fuels have resulted in an alliance to promote their use. ASFE, the Alliance for Europe synthesis fuels, was born on 7 March last in Brussels. The founding members are DaimlerChrysler, Renault, Royal Dutch Shell, Sasol Chevron and Volkswagen. "Synthetic fuels are the solution for a cleaner energy future." "They can also provide answers to concerns about security and diversity of supply," said George Couvras, CEO of Sasol Chevron. And Rob Routs, Executive Director of Shell, said for his part: "synthetic fuels offer an opportunity for cost-effective and realistic development, to halfway between the fuels of today and more long-term renewable energy".