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Audi Launches Pilot Plant to Make Synthetic Diesel Fuel

Audi AG has begun operating a pilot plant in Dresden, Germany, that uses "green" electricity to make diesel fuel from carbon dioxide and water.

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Audi AG has begun operating a pilot plant in Dresden, Germany, that uses "green" electricity to make diesel fuel from carbon dioxide and water.

The facility extracts CO2 from the air using direct air capturing technology developed by Zurich-based Climeworks AG. Applying a process developed by German partner Sunfire GmbH, the gas is reacted with hydrogen extracted from water at 220 C and 25 bar pressure to make a hydrocarbon-rich liquid called Blue Crude.

The process is as much as 70% efficient, according to Audi. The pilot plant can make 160 liters of Blue Crude per day.

Audi says about 80% of Blue Crude can be converted into synthetic diesel. The e-fuel contains no sulfur or aromatics. It also has a high cetane number, indicating the material is easy to ignite. The company says the fuel can be blended in any ratio with conventional fossil diesel.

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