It is true that the European Commission has set 2035 as the date for the end of combustion vehicle sales. But it is also true that countries like Germany have already shown their opposition to this decision. Asked about these differences of opinion, Alessandro Bartelloni, director of FuelsEurope, the entity representing the oil industry in the European Union, reminds that in a year’s time there will be elections in the institutions and that the institution at that time will again be the members of the Commission to showcase all the innovation and evolution in fuels – namely in low carbon liquid fuels (Low Carbon Liquid Fuels in English, or LCLF).
For the Director of FuelsEurope, the industry faces a number of issues, the most significant of which is the lack of information in society about the role LCLF can play in decarbonising the economy. And he thinks the industry has an image problem, as it’s hard to fight the messages from environmental institutions that normally appeal to emotion.
For Alessandro Bartelloni, the sector plays an important role, as an alternative and complementary solution to decarbonisation. For the director of FuelsEurope, the most logical process is to define a goal and then create the conditions for the market to choose the best solutions. This did not happen, with the legislature choosing electrification as the solution and getting to the point of “banning the sale of internal combustion vehicles”. There are solutions that can help achieve the defined goals and relieve the pressure associated with the massive (and hurried) need to electrify the economy, he argues. One of these solutions, Alessandro Bartelloni points out, is new fuels – the so-called clean fuel or carbon neutral fuels.
Yes, it is true that they contain carbon. But, explains the director of FuelsEurope, the most important thing is the origin. Traditionally, carbon comes from oil, which after extraction is converted into fuel and released into the atmosphere, increasing the concentration of CO2. “The big transformation that has taken place in our industry is that we have gradually replaced petroleum with other materials,” he points out, giving the example of sustainable biomass or waste, to make synthetic fuel. In this way, it is possible to use a fuel that is only biogenic or recycled in a combustion engine that emits CO2, without having to make adjustments to existing engines. this means that “the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is not increased”.
But the question of being “friendly” to the environment is not the only advantage of this type of fuel. As the director of FuelsEurope recalls, there is a lot of pressure to electrify these days. With all its consequences, he defends. On the one hand, this created some obstacles, as many entities (and countries) are making progress at the same time. Firstly, the issue of batteries, not only in terms of their capacity and end-of-life, but especially in terms of the raw materials required for their manufacture. A subject that even, warns Alessandro Bartelloni, calls into question European independence in terms of supply. Without forgetting that the price of electric vehicles is still very high and there are doubts whether the current capacity of the network is sufficient to supply the expected number of electric vehicles. The most logical solution, for the director of FuelsEurope, is a combination of technologies.
On the other hand, we should not forget about existing vehicles. Alessandro Bartelloni believes that their useful life will be extended and that the second-hand market can get a new life – something that is already happening. Also because there is a part of the population that will not be able to get an electric car.
The executive, who was one of the speakers at the Lisbon energy summit, also recalls the jobs at stake due to the closure of refineries. And he cites the case that happened at a refinery near Venice, Italy, that by becoming a biofuel refiner managed to keep jobs while they completely abandoned oil and started making jet fuel. These are the situations that the Commission must take into account, according to Alessandro Bartelloni. Because they help decarbonise. But that requires investment. Many millions of euros in investments. Which investors logically do not dare, since there is no certainty today about its return.
Alessandro Bartelloni believes that this type of fuel – which is environmentally friendly – could be the solution for maritime transport, long-distance freight, aviation or industry, such as cement, for example, which is difficult to become 100% electrified.
A lot has changed in the fuel sector in recent years. It turns out that most people are completely unaware of this advancement. And this, according to Alessandro Bartelloni, is one of the biggest problems in the sector. Because it’s hard to get a message across when the negative charge – conveyed through years of oil use and messages from environmental organizations – is so heavy. It happens, he emphasizes, that the sector is completely different today. And that is one of the messages he tried to convey at the Lisbon Energy Summit: that it is now possible to use environmentally friendly fuels and that they can (and should) be a complementary and alternative solution to electrification. That the choice of a combination of different technologies not only relieves the pressure associated with electrification, but also makes it possible – easier – to achieve the objectives of the European Commission. The data proves him right, but Alessandro Bartelloni knows he has a long battle ahead of him.
Alexandra Costa is a journalist for Dinheiro Vivo
Source: DN
