From the fryer to your car, this is the neutral diesel that can be sold beyond 2035

Posted on

Internal combustion engines seemed to be heading for their complete disappearance. And the outlook for them is still not rosy at a time when most manufacturers have already defined a roadmap that involves selling only electric cars by 2035, or even earlier. But there is still hope for internal combustion.

The first, the 2026 clause by which the European Union could still backtrack or lower its objectives. The second is to admit the validity of neutral internal combustion, with combustion engines that should work solely and exclusively using neutral synthetic fuel.

But how are the neutral diesels that can be sold beyond 2035?

This is how neutral diesels are

As we said, a neutral synthetic fuel is one that has been produced by capturing COtwo or saving CO emissionstwo equivalent to those emitted in its use, in its combustion, in the engine. In the case at hand, the neutral diesel would have been produced using, among other raw materials, used cooking oil, frying oil and industrial processes in the food sector.

Neutral diesels are not only an option for the future, in Europe there are already many service stations that, in addition to distributing biofuels (in different proportions), sell fuels close to total neutrality. That is the case of Neste MY Renewable Diesel a diesel that, according to the legal criteria applied to calculate its neutrality, could be up to 90% neutral – 90% of CO emissionstwo generated in its combustion would have been compensated by processing waste to produce it.

Read More:   154 CV and artificial exhaust sound for the first electric Abarth 500

Being available in many European service stations, especially in the Netherlands, we can get an idea of ​​how much these fuels are and will be more expensive than conventional diesel. The Tamoil company is currently selling the diesel at €1.96 per liter, while Neste MY Renewable Diesel is distributed at €2.69. 73 euro cents per liter of diesel refueled difference.

From the fryer to your car

As we told you, Neste synthetic diesel is produced, among other things, using cooking oil, frying oil, and industrial process oil from the food industryas well as animal fats. Neste is one of the largest producers of “renewable” fuels, primarily synthetic diesel and also sustainable jet fuel. We are talking about 3.3 million tons of fuel per year, which will increase to 5.5 million tons in 2023, with its expansion in Singapore, and up to 6.8 million tons in 2026 with its expansion project in Rotterdam.

Read More:   New record! The Mercedes-AMG One is the fastest production car at the Nürburgring (+ video)

As if that were not enough, Neste has just announced the acquisition of the used oil collection business in the United States of the company Crimson Renewable Energy Holdings, to have raw material with which to increase its production of neutral synthetic diesel.

Sell ​​neutral diesel beyond 2035?

As currently defined the European Commission proposal, technically it will be possible to continue selling diesel cars beyond 2035 if they guarantee that they use only and exclusively neutral synthetic fuels. But the price of fuel and, above all, the fact that manufacturers have already planned their future by doing without internal combustion engines and especially diesel ones, make us think that the neutral internal combustion cars that are sold by then may remain limited to some iconic and passionate products.

Looking to the present, neutral diesels like the Neste MY may be a solution if diesel prices continue to skyrocket to match, or even surpass neutral diesel. But above all they are being a solution for companies that have set decarbonization objectives. IKEA Finland, for example, has proposed to reduce its carbon footprint and that all its deliveries are free of CO emissionstwo in 2025. And to achieve this, without electrifying its entire delivery fleet, it has chosen to use Neste’s renewable diesel in its vehicles.

Read More:   The future that awaits us are speakers that simulate the sound of a V8 in electric cars (+ video)