Transport is responsible for more than 30% of CO2 emissions in the European Union, making it a fundamental sector in the fight against climate change. In this context, the search for more sustainable solutions is one of the priorities of companies in the energy and logistics sectors. Among these possible solutions, there is an alternative that is gaining more prominence every day as one of the great hopes for reducing the environmental impact of heavy transportation: biofuels.
In addition, they have characteristics that often make them especially efficient and allow for agile implementation.
Firstly, they have the ability to immediately partially or totally replace fuels derived from oil and gas because their chemical composition is very similar to these and it is not necessary to make modifications to the engines for their operation. In addition, we already have mature technologies capable of producing them in existing industrial facilities.
But its advantages do not stop there. The use of certain raw materials for its manufacturing is very favorable for the environment. When waste is used for its production, as in the case of second generation biofuels, the circular economy is promoted. This means betting on a production and consumption model that involves reusing and giving a second life to waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill, thus generating significant added value.
Its advantages are, therefore, undoubted, so it is not surprising that this innovative solution is already taking its first steps in means of transport such as the train. Although this is a sector where electrification is widespread, there are still railway sections in which fossil fuels are depended on to move the locomotives. It is on these paths that some companies are already working and the results, so far, are more than encouraging.
Last November, Cepsa, Maersk and Renfe announced that they had successfully completed the first test of renewable fuels in rail transport developed in Spain. The pilot consisted of the use of a biofuel, renewable diesel (HVO), on the railway route between Algeciras and Córdoba, within the route between Algeciras and Madrid, which is not fully electrified, and for a period of 15 weeks.
The biofuel, produced by Cepsa in its La Rábida energy park, in the province of Huelva, from used cooking oils, allowed Renfe trains to complete a total of 100 journeys between the two Andalusian cities. The conventional diesel used by locomotives was replaced with more than 130 tons of renewable diesel.
All this while maintaining optimal performance in the locomotive engines.
The satisfactory results of the test demonstrate that we are facing a viable alternative that generates immense opportunities. And this is how the three participating companies see it, which are evaluating the possibility of continuing to use biofuels on the route on which it has been tested during these months and even extending its use to other railway routes that are not electrified.
The road to achieving the objectives set by the European Union (EU) in its Fit for 55 package of measures is long, but important steps are being taken to achieve them. In these proposals, the EU proposes that the group of countries that comprise it reduce their net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 compared to 1990 and reach climate neutrality in 2050. To achieve this, it is essential to develop and extend initiatives such as that carried out by Cepsa, Maersk and Renfe to all heavy transport sectors and, in parallel, achieve sufficient production of biofuels to be able to carry them out.
Among the objectives of its Positive Motion strategy, the energy company wants to lead the production of biofuels in Spain and Portugal and aspires to have an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tons by 2030. The company is already taking steps to achieve this through different projects, such as the construction, together with Bio-Oils, of the largest second-generation biofuels plant in southern Europe.
Minimizing the effects of climate change requires taking the initiative and implementing measures aimed at decarbonization in the sectors that generate the most emissions. Advancing in its manufacturing and implementation is, undoubtedly, a challenge that requires everyone's commitment. It is also an opportunity to achieve the sustainability of the planet.
