New Biofuels Offer Promising Solution for Reducing Automotive Carbon Emissions
Among the various technologies studied and implemented to decarbonize the automotive sector, with good alternatives for sustainable vehicles and fuels, there are several examples, such as the already known electric vehicles. Dominique Mouette, professor at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH) at USP, states that, despite being a good alternative for the sector, the high price for its use, the high consumption of lithium by its batteries and the lack of infrastructure for fast recharging are factors that must be taken into consideration.
Another very similar technology is used in so-called hybrid cars, but without the disadvantage of recharging. This happens because, in this type of vehicle, the battery is recharged through the energy used when braking the car, automatically switching from liquid fuel to electric fuel as it has energy. In addition to these, the professor says that many other technologies are being researched, mainly for cargo transportation. Sustainable alternatives such as electric trucks and ethanol have some problems, such as inefficient recharging infrastructure and the lack of uniform distribution across Brazil.
Other technologies
Thus, one technology that Dominique highlights is biomethane, used in vehicles that run on gas, whether compressed or liquefied. Its production is dispersed throughout the country, since it can be made from sugarcane and urban waste or sewage effluents, and only requires an increase in the production of gas-powered vehicles and an improvement in the infrastructure for supplying this gas. “It is a very interesting way to decarbonize this sector. If you take both urban waste and sewage effluents, they naturally produce methane, and this methane goes to the surface. So you recover this methane, solve a problem, and it becomes something with a financial value that can provide returns for the municipalities”, he adds.
In addition to the technologies already mentioned, Dominique comments on biodiesel, synthetic fuels and green hydrogen, which are already receiving investments from all over the world for their production. Regarding the latter, she highlights: “It is not yet ready for use because producing hydrogen will consume a lot of energy. There is no point in producing hydrogen with oil or natural gas, with carbon capture. It has to be green, but it is still very expensive. So, we need to develop more to improve hydrogen.”
Investments in the sector
The expert explains that society already has enough scientific knowledge to understand the consequences of each technology adopted and reinforces the importance of policies that encourage the production of renewable fuels and sustainable vehicles such as RenovaBio , which focuses on biofuels. According to Dominique, all technologies need a government incentive policy, with tax reductions and financing lines.
“Making hydrogen viable is very interesting, and so is biomethane, since it is more mature and better to use. After all, I don’t believe in a single source. We need to have several types of supply. Electricity has its place, biomethane, hydrogen, we need to have diversification, even to have energy security. If there is a problem, you know that you have another option and you are not so dependent on external markets”, he concludes.