About: alternative fuels

EU warms to plastic waste ‘recycling’ as transport fuel

A proposal to use non-recyclable plastic waste in the production of transport fuels is picking momentum among EU member states and legislators in the European Parliament, despite warnings from environmentalists.

E-fuels may be an option for aviation but not road transport, study finds

Liquid E-fuels made from renewable power, the latest buzzword among proponents of alternative fuels, are not the answer to Europe's quest to decarbonise transport because their production is still inefficient and costly, according to a new study being published today (1 December).

Volvo exec: ‘Plenty more scope’ to cut CO2 emissions from trucks

There are virtually “no limits” to what technology can achieve to reduce CO2 emissions from trucks, says Niklas Gustafsson from the Volvo group. What will eventually hold back progress in cutting emissions are wider societal factors, he claims.

Aviation group pushes for ‘level-playing field’ on alternative fuels

SPECIAL REPORT / A leading British aviation group Wednesday (16 July) called for immediate action to develop alternative jet fuels while seeking to skirt the controversy that has forced the European Union to reconsider biofuels targets for motor transport.

Parliament votes to harmonise electric cars in Europe

The European Parliament is set to approve new EU laws aimed at setting up infrastructure for alternative fuels in the EU, a move aimed at boosting electric vehicles and reducing Europe’s dependence on imported oil, MEPs said ahead of the plenary vote, which takes place today (15 April). EURACTIV reports from Strasbourg.

EU looks to alternative fuels for ‘green’ cars

The EU needs a long-term strategy on alternative fuels to decarbonise its transport sector by 2050, according to a draft report from the European Commission, seen by EURACTIV.

‘Transition fuels’ to pave way for carbon-free cars

Alternative fuels could bridge the transition to low-carbon road transport as electric cars remain a thing of the future, a roundtable at the European Parliament heard yesterday (18 November).

Biofuels for transport

In a bid to reduce its dependency on imported oil and tackle global warming, the EU has committed to raising the share of fuels from renewable sources in transport to 10% by 2020. Concerned with warnings that increased agrifuel production could in fact lead to mass deforestation and food shortages, the EU also agreed a set of sustainability criteria for biofuels.

The review of the EU’s Fuel Quality Directive

Petrol and diesel specifications are being reviewed in order to lower their environmental and health impact as well as to take into account new EU-wide targets on biofuels and greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

EU undecided on standards for cleaner fuels

Proposed fuel specifications aimed at making oil companies play their part in cutting fuel emissions and promoting the development of biofuels, have come under fire for failing to set any kind of sustainability standards and for potentially conflicting with other climate-friendly policies.

Biofuels: The Next Generation

With ethanol and biodiesel coming under increasing criticism for driving up food prices and putting biodiversity at risk, the EU has committed to 'second-generation' biofuels as a clean alternative for transportation - but many challenges remain before they find their way into our cars.

Interview: Biofuels hampered by ‘scale problem’

First-generation biofuels - such as ethanol - must be seen as a ''stepping stone'' for the development of new, environmentally-friendly alternatives, such as fuel made from waste, because it will never be possible to produce them on a sufficiently large scale - according to UOP, a leading developer of refining processes and technology.

Biofuels: ‘We are nowhere near an economic solution’

Carlos Cabrera, president and CEO of the Honeywell-owned company UOP - which has specialised in developing processes and technologies for refining crude oil for the past 90 years - told EURACTIV why he believes policymakers should shift their attention to second-generation biofuels if they want to substantially reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector.

EU eyes imports to quench biofuels thirst

Europe must open its doors to imports of biofuels from developing countries in order to reduce its oil dependency and cut carbon emissions, said EU leaders at a high-level conference in Brussels attended by Brazilian President Luis Inacio 'Lula' da Silva.

Consumers and producers of alternative fuel in a ‘Catch-22’ situation

Consumer acceptance, fuel infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities should develop hand-in-hand to avoid deadlock in the diffusion of alternative-fuel vehicles, according tp Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers Struben and Sterman.

Hydrogen and fuel cells

Hydrogen vehicles hold the promise of curing the world's oil dependency while making transport-related air pollution and CO2 emissions history. But sceptics point out that hydrogen is clean only if produced from renewable sources of energy.

US biofuel subsidies questioned

Policies to support biofuels in the United States are costly and do not help much towards alleviating dependency on imported petroleum or reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, a think-tank warns.

Hydrogen and fuel cells: fake promises?

Hydrogen vehicles hold the promise of curing the world's oil dependency while making transport-related air pollution and CO2 emissions history. But sceptics say that hydrogen is clean only if produced from renewable sources of energy.

EU in doubt over alternatives to oil

Biofuels, natural gas, hydrogen… None of the candidates to replace oil in vehicles are entirely convincing at the moment, according to the Commission which says it lacks a long-term vision supported by carmakers and the oil industry.

Synfuels: the next miracle cure for sustainable mobility?

Leading European car manufacturers and fuel supply companies have launched a new alliance to promote the use of synthetic fuels for transport.

Alternative fuels for transport

To improve security of energy supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the EU has set itself the objective of a 10% substitution of traditional fuels in the road transport sector (gasoline and conventional diesel) by alternative fuels before the year 2020. Three alternative solutions are seen as promising: biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen.