Chilean government authorities and private companies inaugurated this Tuesday the first integrated plant to produce clean e-fuels based on green hydrogen (H2) in the world, in what they described as the birth of a “new industry” on a global level.
In a ceremony attended by the Minister of Energy of Chile and executives from HIF Global, Porsche, Enel Green Power and Siemens Energy, the executives activated the Haru Oni demonstration plant, located in the city of Punta Arenas (in the extreme south of Chile). , and then they filled up a Porsche 911 car and tested it in the same location.
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“Today we are not inaugurating a factory. We are inaugurating the birth of an industry, of an ecosystem that will take us into the 22nd century. Today we take a step towards the future, which is everyone’s responsibility”, said César Norton, president of the company that owns the plant, HIF Global.
The factory, whose construction began in September 2021, cost around US$74 million and can produce e-gasoline for cars, e-aviation fuel (SAF) and e-liquefied gas.
Called Haru Oni, the plant combines electricity, water and CO2 to generate e-Methanol and ultimately carbon-neutral gasoline from electricity. For this reason, the fuels generated are called electro fuels or electric fuels (e-Fuels).
How e-fuels are produced
A wind turbine that generates 3.4 megawatts of electricity provides the necessary energy for the water electrolysis process through which green H2 is produced, which, combined with CO2 captured from the air, gives rise to e-fuels.
Through additional processes, e-gasoline, SAF and electronic liquefied gas are produced. The plant is expected to produce 350 tons of e-methanol per year and 130,000 liters of e-gasoline.
The objective is to demonstrate the commercial potential of green H2-based fuels.
It should be noted that the e-gasoline produced in this factory can be used in any vehicle that uses regular gasoline without the need for any adaptation.
Patagonia’s exceptional renewable energy generation potential made the location a natural choice for the facility’s location. The strong winds in the region manage to generate about three times more energy than possible in Europe. The entire operation of Haru Oni has certification that proves that the fuels generated at the plant can be called green.
“This synthetic gasoline can replace 100% of fossil fuels without the need to change current engines and infrastructure. This means that this solution is a solution that we can implement in the short term. Going out today is extremely important,” Norton said.
“Today it’s cars. We hope that soon it will be ships and planes. We are proud to take this step in Punta Arenas and in Chile, because in Chile we are in the pole position of the energy transition. We are at the start of the race. We have to win the race and we have to do it together”, added the executive.
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