Until now, there have been no commercial drop-in solutions for replacing fossil gasoline to reduce the high amounts of greenhouse gas emissions from conventional gasoline cars without investing in new vehicles or modifying the old ones. Neste is developing a renewable gasoline for such commercial use. The final phase of testing is now beginning.
According to the company, the renewable gasoline can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65 % compared to fossil fuels over the life cycle of the fuel. (The calculation method complies with the EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC, the company says.) Neste’s goal is to achieve emission reductions of up to 90 %. This would mean that greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle of the fuel would be equivalent to those of an electric vehicle.
Tests with the new fuel are currently being conducted together with Powertrain Engineering Sweden AB, Göteborg, a supplier to Volvo Cars. The tests are taking place both in a laboratory setting with a freestanding engine and through Neste’s own road tests with two vehicles. The purpose of the tests is to study the fuel’s properties and make adjustments to the fuel to further reduce emissions before commercial testing.
The renewable gasoline consists of more than 75 % bio-based content. The remainder consists of conventional fossil-based gasoline components to meet the current specifications of the EN228 standard. In parallel, Neste is investing in longer-term development to produce renewable gasoline with a biobased content of up to 95 %. The biobased portion of the fuel is expected to include various types of biocomponents. Ongoing tests will determine the optimal mix.
- Neste Oyj, Espoo, Finland
