"Flying Planes with Artificial Petroleum Made from Abundant Water"... Airlines Welcome the 'Dream Factory' [Tech Talk]

Hydrogen Extracted from Water Combined with Carbon
eFuel, the Key to Greening Aviation and Shipping
Large-scale Production Attempts in Spain and the United States

Petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline and diesel have long been the core energy sources of the global economy. However, because oil reserves are distributed unevenly around the world, most countries rely on imports from a handful of resource-rich nations. For this reason, there have been continuous attempts throughout history to develop alternative fuels to petroleum. In recent years, in particular, advancements in renewable energy technologies have brought attention to eco-friendly synthetic fuels, known as electricity-based fuels or eFuels, which are produced by synthesizing hydrogen obtained from water electrolysis with carbon dioxide or nitrogen.

Starting in 2027, eFuel produced will be supplied to American Airlines in the United States, British Airways in the United Kingdom, and Aer Lingus in Ireland. EPA Yonhap News

Fuel Produced by Synthesizing Hydrogen Extracted with Electricity and Carbon

The first synthetic oil production technology was developed in Germany in the 1910s. At that time, Germany invested in a technology called 'coal liquefaction' to secure a stable oil supply. This method involves heating coal to produce carbon monoxide, which is then reacted with hydrogen to create synthetic oil.

However, the synthetic oil produced through coal liquefaction was much more expensive than oil extracted from oil fields. During World War II, Germany, cut off from trade routes by the Allied forces, was forced to use this method out of necessity. Today, Sasol, a South African company that acquired this technology from Germany, operates the world's largest coal liquefaction oil plant. However, its production capacity is only 150,000 barrels per day, which amounts to just 6% of Korea's daily consumption of 2.5 million barrels.

The advantage of 'Efuel' is that it can reduce environmental pollution concerns without replacing internal combustion engines. Pixabay

Recently, scientists and entrepreneurs have shifted their focus to new eFuel technologies that use water to produce eco-friendly synthetic fuels. eFuel is produced by extracting hydrogen from water using electricity, and then synthesizing this hydrogen with carbon dioxide to create hydrocarbon fuels. This process allows for the environmentally friendly production of various fuels such as synthetic gasoline, synthetic diesel, and synthetic aviation fuel. For this reason, eFuel is often referred to as eco-friendly artificial petroleum.

The greatest advantage of the eFuel process is its environmental safety. The water electrolysis (PEM) process used to extract hydrogen from water produces only water vapor as a byproduct. Carbon dioxide is captured from the atmosphere through carbon capture technology. If the electricity used for PEM and carbon capture is supplied from renewable energy sources, it is possible to produce clean fuel without environmental pollution.

Electrolyzer (PEM) hydrogen production device in Cologne, Germany (top) and carbon capture fan in the United States (bottom). Using these two devices, hydrogen and carbon dioxide can be extracted from water and air respectively for synthesis. Captured from Royal Dutch Shell and American Society of Mechanical Engineers websites.

The main obstacle, as with coal liquefaction, is cost. Both PEM and carbon capture are processes that consume enormous amounts of electricity. Although numerous startups in advanced countries such as the United States and Europe have attempted to develop eFuel production methods, none have yet succeeded in achieving mass production.

Key to Decarbonization Strategies in Aviation and Shipping Industries

E-fuel production complex at Bilbao Port, Spain, scheduled for pilot operation in 2026. Screenshot from Repsol website

However, the situation may be reversed within the next few years. In October of last year, Spanish energy company Repsol announced plans to build an eFuel production plant near the Port of Bilbao at a cost of 200 million euros. Last month, American alternative fuel startup Infinium also announced that it had begun construction of a 100-megawatt (MW) capacity eFuel plant in Texas. Both facilities are scheduled for completion in 2026 and 2027, respectively, and are expected to become the largest eFuel production complexes in Europe and the United States.

The Bilbao plant will be able to produce 50 barrels of eFuel per day. The Infinium plant is targeting a daily production of 526 barrels, more than ten times that amount. Of course, both figures are still minuscule compared to the more than 13 million barrels of crude oil extracted daily by the U.S. oil industry. Nevertheless, they represent important milestones as demonstrations of large-scale, clean fuel production technology that does not cause environmental pollution.

eFuel is critically important for industries where electrification is practically difficult. For example, the gas turbine engines of aircraft and the massive diesel engines of cargo ships cannot easily be replaced by electric motors. In other words, the path toward eco-friendliness in the aviation and shipping industries depends on the expansion of eFuel production.

In fact, the major investors and customers of the Infinium eFuel plant in Texas are all airlines. Infinium has agreed to source electricity from a wind power complex in Texas, and starting in 2027, the eFuel produced will be supplied to American Airlines in the United States, British Airways in the United Kingdom, and Aer Lingus in Ireland.