Development

Synthetic fuels are a new generation of near zero sulphur and aromatics, transport fuels made with the Fischer Tropsch process from natural gas (GTL) or biomass (BTL), or through hydrotreatment process from vegetable oils or animal fats (HVO).

 

The Fischer-Tropsch technology has been around since the early twentieth century. This technology has been continually refined and updated, most notably in South Africa where synthetic fuel has been produced from coal since 1955 and from natural gas in Malaysia since 1993. Initially the production of synthetic fuel used the high temperature Fischer-Tropsch process but the development of a low temperature method has allowed the production of more advanced, high performance, synthetic fuels with an impressive environmental profile.

 

Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is a renewable diesel fuel made by a refinery-based process converting vegetable oils to paraffins. Also animal fats are suitable for feedstocks. Because they are hydrocarbons, they largely meet conventional diesel fuel requirements, apart from ester specifications. Properties of this non-ester-type, biobased fuel are very similar to GTL and BTL.

 

GTL and HVO are the most commercially advanced fuels and they offer a practical alternative fuel today. A number of plants are being built or planned and product availability is increasing. BTL needs further investment for development but has the potential to use sustainable biomass resources in Europe.

 

Synthetic fuels can be produced from a range of feedstocks: Biomass (BTL and HVO) and Natural Gas (GTL). GTL and HVO are at the most advanced stage of commercial development.