The e-fuels transforming transportation

Meeting international climate goals won’t just require the accelerated roll-out of green technologies and renewable power. It also calls for the adoption of sustainable fuels to be significantly speeded up, according to recent analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

E-fuels (or electrofuels) are synthetic fuels produced through electrolysis, which splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. Green hydrogen produced through electrolysis is reacted with captured CO₂ in a process known as synthesis. This results in a synthetic hydrocarbon fuel, or e-fuel.

Such fuels have potential to transform many areas of our lives – everything from passenger cars and cooking to heating. And as the IEA notes, they are gathering increasing interest as a solution to reducing emissions in sectors that are difficult to electrify.

But what are some of those hard-to-abate sectors and what impact could e-fuels have on them? Find out more in the graphic below.