Methanol – the “Oil“ of Tomorrow?

Prof. Frank Atzler Calls for a Clear Focus on the Hydrogen Economy and E-fuels – Not Just for Existing Fleets

In his keynote speech at the 12th International Engine Congress, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Atzler, Chair of Internal Combustion Engines and Drive Technology at TU Dresden, will talk about the “Opportunities and Challenges of E-fuels in Terms of Scale and Number”. The advocate of alternative fuels and an open-technology approach to the defossilization of the transport sector will answer our questions in the run-up to the renowned event.
 

Prof. Atzler, how do you see the future of a sustainable energy supply?

Prof. Atzler: There is no doubt that if we are really serious about the energy transition, the future will be electric. As I do not expect Germany to be completely self-sufficient with domestic wind and solar energy in 2050, we will need sustainable solutions to cover our import requirements efficiently and safely. However, storing and transporting electricity over long distances – i.e. on the global scale of world trade – is not cheap, robust or easy. Therefore, one solution in the future will be to electrolyze hydrogen from green electricity.
 

But isn't hydrogen just as challenging in terms of storage and transportation over long distances?

Prof. Atzler: Indeed! Hydrogen has a very low volumetric energy density and requires complex handling with permanent cooling to -253°C or compression to 350 to 700 bar. Against this background, in my view it boils down to producing e-fuels from green hydrogen and recycled CO2 on a large, industrial scale. As there are various scientific and technical arguments against the use of ammonia on a large scale, the most obvious option is to synthesize methanol. It is liquid at ambient temperature and pressure, much less toxic than ammonia or gasoline and can be transported very easily. In a figurative sense, methanol could therefore become the oil of a new green world energy trade – alongside the trade in H2, CO2 and, in part, ammonia, for example for artificial fertilizers.
 

What speaks for methanol as the “new oil”?  

Prof. Atzler: Methanol combines many advantageous properties and possible uses. It enables robust, cost-effective and scalable storage for phases of “dark doldrums”, such as those we have repeatedly experienced in Germany in recent weeks. At the same time, methanol can serve as a geostrategic energy reserve. And above all, it can be processed into EN228 (and EN590) to defossilize the existing vehicle fleet. As it does not appear to be economically viable to convert methanol back into hydrogen, direct use of the energy source is preferable.
 

For some time now, you have been advocating a more intensive focus on the production of e-fuels on an industrial scale. What are the arguments in favor of this?

Prof. Atzler: E-fuels represent a great opportunity for the European economies and especially for the German economy to remain competitive in the long term. Naturally, I am thinking primarily of the automotive industry, but aviation and maritime transport also need future-proof, transportable, easily storable alternative fuels that are available in sufficient quantities. E-fuels can therefore create long-term prospects for safe, sustainable and clean energy.
 

Why do you think e-fuels are needed to master the change in individual mobility?

Prof. Atzler: Quite simply, we must not lose sight of the existing fleets. Various scientific studies, such as the FVV study, make it abundantly clear that we need solutions for existing vehicles – otherwise we will not even come close to achieving the climate targets for transport by 2035. When it comes to defossilizing the old fleet, we are talking about around 50 million vehicles in Germany alone – and over a billion vehicles worldwide.

E-fuels can therefore make a decisive contribution to limiting greenhouse gas emissions by allowing existing fleets to switch to a defossilized fuel in the shortest possible time. There are also other advantages: Existing infrastructures such as filling station networks can continue to be used effortlessly, and e-fuels also represent an attractive solution for storing energy in general and transporting it over long distances.
 

What do you say to critics who claim that the production of e-fuels is far too expensive?

Prof. Atzler: The current costs for the production of e-fuels are naturally not even remotely comparable with the dimensions that we can achieve in industrial production. Although relatively large pilot plants already exist, for example at the TU Bergakademie in Freiberg, the step from pilot plants to large-scale industrial production will be considerable. It is also important – keyword energy imports – to produce e-fuels in parts of the world with high solar and/or wind yields, for example in Patagonia or Australia. Then prices will also fall!
 

What price corridors would be achievable for a liter of e-fuel?

Prof. Atzler: There are various scientific studies on this, all of which come to similar conclusions. In my own calculations, I also come to the conclusion that it will be possible to produce a liter of e-fuel for less than one euro in the medium term.

The further pricing is primarily a question of taxation and the desired profits – not primarily the product costs. If e-fuels are to replace fossil fuels, they must be offered at the same retail price, or even cheaper. And that is possible in my view. But it must also be politically desirable!
 

But there is still a long and above all expensive way to go, isn't there?

Prof. Atzler: There is no doubt that the investments in the “new green world energy system” will be enormous – but they will pay off in the medium term. The future renewable energy system does not necessarily have to be more expensive than the current system and also offers enormous opportunities to maintain prosperity in Europe. In terms of time, it is quite clear that we still have some bottlenecks to overcome.
 

If this is possible – why don't we do it?

Prof. Atzler: It is well known that the EU has opted for a different approach, namely to focus on battery electric vehicles. It can be argued that the progress made in electric mobility and battery technology would not have happened so quickly without this restrictive policy. At the same time, however, we are seeing how this approach is putting the entire industry in a precarious position.

In addition, there is no question that the combustion engine in general and diesel in particular have been demonized since the so-called diesel crisis from 2015. In my view, this is wrong! Instead, existing engine technology should be further developed to achieve maximum efficiency. Today, Chinese developers are showing us how much efficiency potential there still is in the combustion engine, especially in hybridized concepts. We too can develop combustion engines with an efficiency of 45 percent. This would help everyone: the environment, the industry and, above all, consumers.
 

Against this backdrop, what would you like to see from politics?

Prof. Atzler: First and foremost, we need a fundamental rethink, an acceptance of the various sensible paths to defossilization of transport. Then we need legal recognition of the CO2 neutrality of e-fuels in order to create investment security. Next, a future for highly efficient combustion engine concepts beyond 2035. Minimum consumption, not rated power, must be the maxim! And then great joint efforts are needed to advance the production of e-fuels on a large industrial scale.
 

How realistic is this scenario for you?

Prof. Atzler: From a global perspective, I am certain that the path to e-fuels will be pursued and intensified. I also hope that in 2025 we will also be able to set a course in Europe that is based on facts and reason – away from dogmatic opposition to the combustion engine and towards a new technological rationality and the goal of jointly advancing the defossilization of the transport sector as quickly and efficiently as possible.