Off-road engine manufacturer Deutz has joined the eFuel Alliance, which represents companies involved in the industrial-scale production of synthetic fuels from renewable energies.
The alliance’s stated mission is to drive forward the production of e-fuels as an alternative to conventional fuels, help them to become broadly accepted, and thus contribute to the protection of the climate. Germany-based Deutz will mainly represent the off-highway segment in the initiative.
E-fuels are synthetic fuels that are made on a renewable basis from water and carbon dioxide (CO2). The type of fuel used by an engine determines its emissions characteristics. Deutz satets that, by switching to biofuels or gas, the amount of pollutants and CO2 that the engine emits can be dramatically reduced, even to the point of making it fully carbon neutral.
“We are at the vanguard of a greener transport sector,” said Deutz CEO Frank Hiller. “Deutz believes that e-fuels provide a sensible alternative, alongside electric drives and hydrogen engines, that will help to achieve the Paris climate targets. For exactly this reason, we commit ourselves to play an active role in the eFuel Alliance.”
Monika Griefahn, spokeswoman for the eFuel Alliance, said that the addition of Cologne-based Deutz brings the number of eFuel Alliance members to 150.
Because of the heavy-duty nature of the applications and the long hours they are in use, commercial vehicles, tractors, and construction equipment need a fuel with a high energy density and rapid refueling. Deutz says this is where e-fuels have a clear advantage over purely electric drives.
In August 2021, Deutz approved its entire diesel engine portfolio for use with paraffinic fuels such as e-fuels. It says this means that alternative fuels can now also be used to run the company’s engines that meet the EU Stage V emissions standard.
Deutz has also approved the majority of its latest-generation engines, particularly in the sub-4 litre and above-8 litre range, for biodiesel blends of up to 30%. The company says the use of these alternative fuels significantly reduces the carbon footprint of its engines and raises the prospect of running engines on a carbon-neutral basis in the future.
In August, Deutz unveiled its first purely hydrogen-powered engine for off-highway applications. The six-cylinder engine is set to go into series production in 2024.
