Objective

The project’s goal is to create an international reference case for the production and application of climate neutral alternative fuels, for aviation and other transport segments apart from electromobility. Core element is a pilot project in Brazil to prove feasibility of production and application of those fuels.

Description

Brazil has a high potential of renewable power combined with a rapidly increasing fuel demand both at industrial locations and remote airfields which provide an interesting first market niche. Germany offers know-how for the decentralized production of climate neutral alternative fuels. Experiences will be documented systematically, and subsequently fed into the international debate on decarbonization of transport. Implementing partner institutions beside the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH are the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Communication (MCTIC), as well as the German Aerospace Center (DLR). A first stage of the project pursues theoretical proof of feasibility, concept elaboration and the preparation of relevant actors. Throughout the second stage, these actors realize one or more pilot projects, findings are internationally disseminated.

Regarding the market niche which serves as perspectival target scenario for the ProQR project: The supply of aviation fuel to remote airports in Brazil is a huge logistic challenge. As a result, the costs of fuels in these locations are extremely high, as well as their transport presenting environmental risks. Before this background a local fuel production seems feasible. The project shall demonstrate if this is the case and, furthermore, aims to create an international reference case for the production and use of climate neutral alternative fuels in locations of difficult access. The project supports creation of policies and regulation, as works with other partners of the public sector, industry, and science.

The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) through the International Climate Initiative (ICI) through a 5M Euro grant.

Website:
https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/nc/details/project/climateneutral-alternative-fuels-17_I_263-2840/  
https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/63299.html 

Partners

Brazilian Ministry for Science, Technology, Innovations, and Communications (MCTIC); Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH; German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Achievements to date

An advisory committee - consisting of several Brazilian ministries, regulations agencies, as well as representatives of industry and science - has been established in December 2017. Several technical visits – as capacity development measures – to Germany took place in 2018 and 2019, raising awareness and updating relevant partners to the technology's state-of-the-art. MoU signed by the Brazilian Regulation Agency for Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP) becoming an executive partner of the ProQR project. Definition of technology pathway: FT-SPK produced using renewable electricity and water as well as carbon dioxide preferentially captured from ambient air (DAC), aiming at a container plant design potentially installable in remote locations.

Contact information

Torsten Schwab, Project Director, torsten.schwab [at] giz.de (torsten[dot]schwab[at]giz[dot]de)