Synthetic fuels are the decarbonization tool we didn't know we needed

The 4th Generation

The 4th Generation

A new report by energy research and consultancy firm LucidCatalyst and NGO Terra Praxis says that carbon-neutral, hydrogen-enabled synthetic fuels might be the answer to transitioning these “difficult-to-decarbonize” sectors. Synthetic fuels—meaning fuels made chemically instead of mined from the earth—can be economically competitive with fossil fuels, according to the report. This is a crucial breakthrough. First, implementing synthetic fuels gets rid of the need to electrify everything. Assuming these fuels are carbon neutral, all we have to do is swap them in for hydrocarbons. Second, they could replace the 50-60% of global emissions attributed to these sectors, at identical cost to cheap traditional fuels. Terra Praxis is helping disseminate the report.

A new report by energy research and consultancy firm LucidCatalyst and NGO Terra Praxis says that carbon-neutral, hydrogen-enabled synthetic fuels might be the answer to transitioning these “difficult-to-decarbonize” sectors. Synthetic fuels—meaning fuels made chemically instead of mined from the earth—can be economically competitive with fossil fuels, according to the report. This is a crucial breakthrough. First, implementing synthetic fuels gets rid of the need to electrify everything. Assuming these fuels are carbon neutral, all we have to do is swap them in for hydrocarbons. Second, they could replace the 50-60% of global emissions attributed to these sectors, at identical cost to cheap traditional fuels. Terra Praxis is helping disseminate the report.