Electricity-based fuels for future mobility
With the Technology Platform for Power-to-Liquid Fuels (TPP), the German Aerospace Center (DLR – Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) is building the largest research facility to date for producing electricity-based fuels in Leuna, Saxony-Anhalt. The plant will be used to optimise these fuels and to further develop the technologies and processes for their production on an industrial scale. The symbolic commencement of construction took place on 1 October 2024 at the chemcial hub of Leuna in the presence of the Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, Dr. Volker Wissing, and the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Dr. Reiner Haseloff. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV – Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr) is providing around 130 million euros in funding for the construction of the facility. Additional funding for the research operation planned from 2028 is also set to be provided.
“The TPP is a worldwide unique research facility for electricity-based fuels. It will become a magnet for both cutting-edge research activities and industrial companiesalike. At the same time, DLR Leuna is highlighting the region as a centre for pioneering ‘Made in Germany’ projects,” said Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair of the DLR Executive Board. “With this major project, DLR’s energy research is making an important contribution to the far-reaching transformation of the energy, mobility and industrial sectors and to Germany’s position as a centre for technology. After all, climate- and environmentally friendly fuels will ensure global mobility in the future.”
“The DLR is undertaking pioneering work in Leuna. The technology platform will be the world’s first facility to test electricity-based fuels in a fully integrated manner across the entire technology chain and on a semi-industrial scale. It constitutes an important bridge between research and industrial production. The insights that we gain here will help us to making progress towards achieving our climate goals. Decarbonising the transport sector is a major task, and in Leuna we are tackling it with grit and determination. Politics, business and science must work hand in hand to achieve our ambitious environmental goals. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is contributing to this by providing 130 million euros in funding to support the construction of the facility,” said Dr. Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport.
“The implementation of a flagship project like the technology platform in our chemical heartland is an encouraging sign. While traditional industries may be disappearing, new, forward-looking ones are emerging in their place. This shows that the region, with its rich industrial tradition, is still innovative today, is ready for change and will have a bright future,” said Dr Reiner Haseloff, Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt.
“With the TPP, the DLR is pursuing a holistic approach and is therefore mapping the entire process chain of power-to-liquid fuels. This not only encompasses the raw materials, but also the production of electricity-based fuels, as well as their certification and application,” said Prof. Dr. Meike Jipp, DLR Executive Board Member for Energy and Transportation. “In each of these areas, DLR energy research has extensive know-how and vast amounts of experience. The fuel produced during the demonstration phase is available for research and pilot projects that will test its use in specific applications.”
This is a project about the fuels of the future and, in particular, it is about pioneering technologies and the expertise and knowledge that will be essential for successfully developing the chemical hub of Leuna into a hub for sustainable fuel production and to further strengthen Leuna’s position as a leading location for sustainable chemistry in Europe,” emphasised Christof Günther, Managing Director of InfraLeuna.
The Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels (TPP) will have a capacity of 2,500 tonnes per year. With this production volume, it has the potential to produce electricity-based fuels on a semi-industrial scale. Due to its modular design, the facility can be upgraded with additional components and the production capacity increased. This also allows additional research topics to be integrated and alternative manufacturing and process steps to be investigated.
Making technologies and processes ready for use in industry
With the TPP, the DLR is closing the gap between research and industrial production of power-to-liquid fuels. As part of this project, scientists are working closely together with partners from industry and research to develop, test and improve processes and methods for producing these fuels on an industrial scale. Scaling up the technologies is a key challenge. After all, not everything that has been successfully demonstrated on a smaller scale in the laboratory can simply be scaled up for industrial production.
The researchers are applying the knowledge gained directly in practice: The TPP demonstration facility produces electricity-based fuels on a semi-industrial scale. The DLR is also investigating how production can be optimised from an economic perspective and how costs can be reduced.
“Efficient and economically viable technologies, methods and processes for the production of power-to-liquid fuels – as researched and developed by the DLR with the TPP – are a crucial prerequisite for producing these fuels on an industrial scale. At the same time, they also represent an interesting and forward-looking area of business for companies involved in the aviation, mobility and energy sectors, as well as in plant and process engineering. This is precisely where companies from Germany and Europe are traditionally strong. As a large-scale research and demonstration facility with a practical focus, the TPP is a flagship project that accelerates the transfer of technology from research to industry, thereby creating a key competitive advantage for local companies,” explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karsten-Lemmer, member of the DLR Executive Board and responsible for innovation, transfer and scientific infrastructure.
For optimal qualities: Designing fuels with precision
Electricity-based fuels not only have the potential to save larger quantities of CO2, but also to significantly reduce the so-called non-CO2 effects. Among these are the emission of nitrogen oxides, soot particles or water vapour. Moreover, in aviation, the non-CO2 effects can have a greater impact on the climate than the CO2 released itself. For example, soot particles and water vapour in the atmosphere can cause condensation trails, which have an additional warming effect. Against this backdrop, power-to-liquid fuels offer the advantage of ‘fuel design’. This means, for example, that their chemical composition can be optimised so that no soot or particulate matter is produced during the combustion process.
The Technology Platform Power-to-Liquid Fuels (TPP) project is supported by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) with funds totalling around 130 million euros as part of the overall concept of renewable fuels. The competitive funding call entitled ‘Construction and operation of a development platform for power-to-liquid fuels’ (‘Errichtung und Betrieb einer Entwicklungsplattform für Power-to-Liquid-Kraftstoffe’) is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by the project management agency VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH.
Image credits: © DLR/KatrinKöhler
Source of original announcement: DLR