Protecting the climate is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. So that future generations can continue to find an intact world, measures must be taken to quickly reduce CO2 emissions. In order to achieve this goal, business, politics, science and associations are working together on concepts for defossilizing Germany as a business location without losing its economic power. Because despite the Ukraine war and the associated energy crisis, the goal of net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2045 is still one of the most important tasks of the present. On the contrary: the call to “get away from fossil energy sources and one-sided dependence on raw materials” is getting louder. The energy industry is aware of this task.

CO2-neutral hydrogen, alternative green fuels and fuels as well as a strong and well-developed charging infrastructure for electric cars at the filling station - there are many ways to efficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So that industrial production runs and value is generated in this country, goods are transported by road, river, lake and sea as well as through the air, homes stay warm and the climate is protected at the same time, companies in the energy industry are concentrating on greenhouse gas-reduced energy production and climate-friendly use . This is done through a wide range of offers - green electricity, CO2-neutral hydrogen and alternative fuels. At the same time, this requires a high degree of know-how and the use of sophisticated and innovative technology.

The expansion of power generation from renewable energies such as sun and wind is important in Germany - at the same time, it should not be forgotten that around 70 percent of the energy that Germany needs is imported, mainly in the form of mineral oil and natural gas as well as hard coal. Especially with a view to the diversification of the energy supply (against the background of the Ukraine war), hydrogen in particular, as well as its derivatives methanol or ammonia, but also liquid alternative fuels are an option for achieving Germany's economic independence from fossil fuels and at the same time climate neutrality. Because alternative fuels, which are generated using electricity from solar and wind energy and “recycled” CO2 or from biological waste products and residues, are necessary, if the climate goals in air, ship and heavy goods traffic are to be achieved. Alternative green fuels also make it possible for existing vehicles with internal combustion engines to be refueled in a greenhouse gas-neutral manner. And alternative liquid fuels are also a climate-friendly option when it comes to heat supply – if electrification is difficult or impossible to implement.

E-mobility: Setting up charging stations must become a sure-fire success

EXPERT IN AN INTERVIEW“Renewable fuels should be recognized as a climate protection option on an equal footing with e-mobility”

Prof. Christian Küchen, CEO of en2x, warns of new dependencies in the mobility transition. The expansion of alternative fuels is crucial in order to minimize future risks.

However, the most important task in promoting the defossilization of the transport sector is the expansion of electromobility. And associated with this is the expansion of a powerful charging infrastructure. By 2030, the federal government wants to have at least 15 million electric cars on the road. But in view of the sluggish expansion of the charging infrastructure, this goal currently seems utopian. The construction of charging stations is not (yet) a sure-fire success. In more than half of the German municipalities there is still not a single publicly accessible charging point - even though the number of electric cars in Germany has increased immensely in recent years. A recent study by management consultancy PwC Strategy also sees the slow expansion of the charging infrastructure as an obstacle to the energy transition in transport.

However, this cannot be achieved solely through specifications to install as many charging points as possible. If the energy transition in transport is to actually succeed, the appropriate framework conditions must be set as quickly as possible. This includes, for example, non-discriminatory network access and an unbureaucratic approval process for new e-charging points, for example for petrol stations.

One thing is clear: certain applications in the transport sector are dependent on fuels with a high energy density. Kerosene for long-haul flights or marine diesel for ships are the best-known examples. Neither an electric nor a fuel cell drive is an option here. Batteries or hydrogen tanks that would have to be taken along would be far too large, leaving far too little of the transport volume. However, alternative liquid fuels or their precursors have the advantage of storing energy in high density and being able to transport it easily over very long distances without loss.