Renewable solutions
2 minute read
The climate crisis will be solved together - all means are necessary in transportation
Climate change requires immediate concrete measures, and all possible, sustainable means are needed to slow it down. The global demand for oil is 4.5 billion tonnes per year, and the demand is constantly increasing even though a lot of work has been done to develop renewable energy solutions.
In transportation, substantial efforts have been made to improve energy efficiency, engine technology, electric vehicles, and biofuels to decrease the use of crude oil. All possible means must be utilized to significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions. The cars sold today will be average cars in 2030, and the electrification will take too long in the face of climate change. The advantage of liquid biofuels and synthetic fuels is that they can already be used in todayâs cars. In addition to liquid biofuels, electrification will be an important solution in light and short-distance transportation. In heavy and long-distance transportation, as well as in aviation, liquid and gaseous fuels will also be used in the future. Neste is the worldâs largest producer of renewable diesel and aviation fuel refined from wastes and residues. Neste is continuously developing new sustainable and globally scalable raw material and technology solutions for transport fuels and for production of chemicals and polymers. All these solutions will decrease the use of crude oil and mitigate climate change.
Future fuel solutions are being developed based on sustainable raw materials and technologies that are difficult to utilize today. These are expected to be commercialized within the next five, ten, or twenty years. Production of transportation fuels from agricultural and forestry residues can be possible already in the near future. Also municipal waste and waste plastics provide interesting opportunities, which could be commercialized rather quickly. In the longer term, algae, renewable hydrogen, and Power-to-X platform, can enable manufacturing of renewable fuels and chemicals by utilizing carbon dioxide and renewable electricity. The development of these new solutions requires establishment of new ecosystems in both research and business. New partnerships and value chains across traditional industry sectors will also be needed. Together, we can develop this field of business as a whole, reduce emissions, and contribute to solving the climate crisis.
This blog text was published on the Business Finlandâs webpage on 25 August 2020.