How can renewable fuels contribute to sustainable mobility?

Fossil fuels were first used to power transport in 1804 with the first steam-powered train journey, but America is now waking up to the hidden costs of climate change. Over the past 200 years, fossil fuels have come to power the vast majority of transport on land, at sea and in the air. Using what are essentially carbon sinks as a transport fuel and releasing the CO2 in the atmosphere is inherently unsustainable. Now, the era of fossil fuels needs to come to an end. In the US, the change is underway, and it runs on renewables. 

Because transportation is unique, featuring many different vehicles serving many different purposes, a wide range of solutions - from  electricity, hydrogen and renewable fuels and yet to be developed technologies - are needed. This paradigm shift is driven by an urgent need to reduce transport-related emissions, and only by combining all available solutions will we meet climate goals. The climate cannot wait.

Why renewable fuels?

Emission reduction

Unlike the production of fossil fuels, where crude oil is extracted from underground reservoirs releasing more greenhouse gas, renewable fuels are made by recycling the existing carbon molecules from previously used materials (waste and residues). So when renewable fuels are combusted in engines, they release no new GHG emissions to the atmosphere. Other harmful pollutants such as NOx and particulate matter are also significantly reduced. Over the lifecycle, renewable fuels can reduce up to 80% GHG emissions than fossil fuels. With renewable fuels, American cities and businesses are already reaching their climate goals faster.

Using what we have to accelerate America’s transformation to a low carbon future

As a drop-in solution, renewable fuels can be supplied anywhere across the nation using America’s existing vast energy infrastructure, such as pipelines and storage tanks. Producers across the world are already marketing different types of renewable fuels, and production capacity is set to expand exponentially over the next decades. As of the end of 2020, US renewable diesel production capacity totaled nearly 0.6 billion gallons per year. Several projects currently under construction could increase this capacity to 5.1 billion gallons per year by the end of 2024.

Safe, proven and a today solution

Renewable fuels are easy, proven and a today solution to reduce transportation emissions. Renewable fuels have been around for decades, and are endorsed by a great number of OEMs. This is especially important in the aviation sector where safety certification of even the smallest change can take years. Renewable fuels can be adapted to all modes of transportation. Cars, vans, trucks, planes, ships and heavy machinery can all run on renewable fuels.

Future-proof

Renewable fuels can deliver strong performance with no new investments or modifications needed, making it a future-proof solution for companies who have invested in diesel-powered vehicles or aircraft that can be in operation for decades. As more businesses are announcing bold climate goals, adopting renewable fuels will help them achieve these goals faster, win trust from investors, increase customer loyalty, meet regulatory requirements, and stand out from the increasing competition by showing meaningful climate action.