Efuels company HIF has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan to accelerate the production of synthetic fuels. The Japanese firm will purchase efuels from HIF’s global facilities, co-invest in potential new projects in Japan, and supply CO₂ captured in Japan for use in efuels production.

HIF started producing ‘carbon-neutral’ gasoline fuel at its first efuels facility at Haru Oni in Chile in December 2022. The 130,000l/yr facility uses green hydrogen from an onsite 1.2MW electrolyser powered by a co-located wind turbine and CO₂ captured directly from air via amine-based sorbents. The firm is also developing a 750mn l/yr facility in Texas, with startup expected in 2027.

“Efuels are available now to decarbonise existing cars, ships and airplanes without any modifications to their engines,” says HIF CEO Cesar Norton.

“We expect to begin construction on the first world-scale efuels facility in Texas, US in 2024, and we are developing additional facilities in Chile, the US and Australia, which are all well-placed to serve partners in Asia,” he adds. “Collaboration with companies with the global presence and resources of Idemitsu makes our plan to reach 150,000bl/d of efuels production a reality.”

Idemitsu is investigating blue hydrogen and ammonia, CCUS and synthetic fuels as potential routes for decarbonisation. It aims to reduce scope one and two emissions by 7.3mn t of CO₂ by 2030, or 46pc from 2013 levels.

The company reports that 7pc of its invested capital last year were in green assets, which it plans to scale up to 15pc by 2025 and 25pc by 2030. It also estimates that Japan’s petroleum demand will decrease by 20pc up to 2030, as the country moves toward its 2050 net zero target.

---

Author: Polly Martin