8/1/2024
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races on eFuels.
In 2024, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup ran exclusively with potentially nearly synthetic eFuels for the first time. The raw fuel comes from the Haru Oni pilot plant in Chile and is produced ready-for-racing through a so-called blending process. The final product allows the ca. 375 kW (510 hp) 911 GT3 Cup vehicles that make up the field to compete potentially almost CO₂-neutral. In the previous three years, a second-generation bio-based, partially synthetic fuel mixture was used in the sports car manufacturer’s top one-make series. Porsche now takes the next systematical step with this flagship project. The racing cars, which, unlike their production counterparts, are equipped with manually programmed engine control units, will have an adapted software version installed before the event.
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup once again ran exclusively as part of the support programme at eight European Formula 1 races this year. During the season, the total fuel requirement for up to 32 Cup vehicles was around 50,000 litres.
The Supercup serves as a beacon for us in the realm of eFuels. Motorsport has always been a catalyst for innovation – now extending to fuel technology. With this project, we are making further strides towards achieving our decarbonisation goals.
eFuels are generated from renewable hydrogen and carbon dioxide from the air thanks to the use of renewable energy. This initially creates eMethanol, which, taken one step further, is then converted into synthetic raw gasoline. The Haru Oni project, located in Patagonia, obtains the energy for this process from wind power. At this location, wind is plentiful and inexpensive. The carbon dioxide currently comes from a biogenic source. In the future, it will be extracted directly from the atmosphere in an environmentally friendly manner using an innovative direct air capture process (DAC). Porsche, together with its trusted eFuel partner HIF Global LLC, as well as Volkswagen AG and MAN Energy Solutions SE, is working on a "proof of concept" DAC system. The aim is to demonstrate that the process can be implemented on an industrial scale.
Pure CO₂ can be reused industrially - for example, in the production of eFuels, which can help us achieve our goals for the decarbonisation of motorsport. Alternatively, CO₂ can also be stored directly in the ground, permanently removing it from the atmosphere.
eFuel (or electro-fuel) refers to synthetic fuels that are produced using renewable energy and do not rely on fossil resources. These synthetic fuels can usefully complement electromobility, especially for existing vehicles. Porsche has already invested over US$100 million in the development and production of eFuels. Of that, US$75 million went to acquiring an interest in HIF Global LLC in April 2022. The company is planning to build and operate further eFuel production facilities in Chile, Uruguay, the USA, and Australia, in addition to the already established eFuels pilot plant in Punta Arenas.
In December 2022, HIF Global began industrial production of synthetic fuel at the Haru Oni pilot plant in Punta Arenas. The south of Chile offers ideal conditions: In the Magallanes region of Chile, wind turbines can be used significantly more often and more intensively than in a location in Germany. The wind is stronger and more consistent throughout the year. This means that the same wind turbines there can generate many times more electricity than in European latitudes. Punta Arenas is also close to the Strait of Magellan. From there, the synthetic eFuels can be transported across the existing infrastructure in the same way as conventional fuels.