HIF Global, Idemitsu Kosan form eFuels strategic cooperation
The alternative energy company has added one more collaboration partner in its plans to produce 150,000 barrels per day of eFuels from global facilities.
HIF Global and energy company Idemitsu Kosan announced a strategic cooperation agreement to accelerate the production of carbon neutral eFuels.
The partnership involves the purchase of eFuels by Idemitsu from HIF’s facilities worldwide, co-investments in HIF eFuels facilities and new facilities in Japan, and supply of recycled carbon dioxide from Japan for use in the eFuels production process. A month ago, representatives from the Japanese firm traveled to southern Chile to witness the production of eFuels at the HIF Haru Oni Demonstration facility.
"Idemitsu is exploring ways to ensure a stable energy supply in a carbon-neutral society in 2050. In particular, we believe that eFuels are one of the best ways to promote decarbonization of mobility by utilizing existing infrastructure, and we hope that eFuels will be widely recognized and used around the world as soon as possible," said Hiroshi Tanaka, General Manager of the Carbon Neutral Transformation Department at Idemitsu Kosan.
eFuels are made using electrolyzers powered by renewable energy to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water. The green hydrogen will be utilized together with recycled carbon dioxide to produce carbon neutral eFuels, which are chemically equivalent to fuels used today and can therefore be dropped-in to existing engines without any modifications required.
"eFuels are available now to decarbonize existing cars, ships, and airplanes without any modifications to their engines. Our eFuels facility at Haru Oni in Chile is already producing carbon neutral gasoline. We expect to begin construction on the first world-scale eFuels facility in Texas, USA in 2024, and we are developing additional facilities in Chile, USA, and Australia, which are all well placed to serve partners in Asia," added Cesar Norton, CEO of HIF Global.
HIF Global has been announcing eFuels production projects for some months now. It’s most recent initiative involves the development of a production facility in Tasmania, Australia, following its plants in Chile and the United States.
