10. International Engine Congress 2023

Author: Marc Ziegler

Conference Report from the 10th International Engine Congress 2023 in Baden-Baden, Germany

Cross-sector View and Assessment

At the 10th International Engine Congress in Baden-Baden, the importance of the combustion engine for passenger and freight transport in a defossilized environment was one of the main topics for discussion. The debates focused on the additional development measures needed for engines to run on sustainable fuels and the production of the fuels themselves.

In his introductory speech, Prof. Peter Gutzmer, Editor-in-Charge of the ATZ/MTZ Group and scientific director of the congress, highlighted the need for the cross-sectoral perspective and evaluation made possible by the engine congress. The aim is to give an integrated view of energy use and energy conversion. The congress deliberately focuses solely on issues relating to the combustion engine in a defossilized energy system, in the knowledge that Europe cannot be self-sufficient in energy. “The combustion engine is part of our future, particularly when it runs on different types of gaseous and liquid CO₂-neutral fuels,” said Gutzmer. This applies in particular to areas where electrification is either not possible or would require enormous effort. Alongside aviation and shipping, this includes most importantly road freight transport, construction and agricultural machinery, and also light- and medium-duty trucks and cars traveling distances in a day that cannot be covered on one battery charge.

NO CONFLICT WITH ELECTRIC MOBILITY

“The combustion engine plays a decisive role in a robust, functional transport system,” emphasized Prof. Christian Beidl from the Technical University of Darmstadt, who also chaired the commercial vehicle engine technology advisory board of the congress. Vehicles with hybrid powertrains or combustion engines running on CO₂-neutral fuels also have the smallest carbon footprint of all types of powertrain and offer further potential for improved efficiency. The energy system determines the powertrain system, but ramping up the production of e-fuels does not conflict with the expansion of electric mobility. Representatives of several vehicle manufacturers shared this view. Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser from Porsche described the company’s double-E strategy, which involves a focus on both electric mobility and e-fuels, because e-fuels can use large parts of the existing infrastructure. In his opinion, decarbonization is a multi-faceted concept with components that can benefit from shared synergies. He also explained that 80 % of the Porsche fleet will be electrified by 2030. Arne Philipp Siemens from Audi mentioned the fact that electrifying the constantly growing existing fleet of vehicles on the roads will not be sufficient to enable us to achieve our climate targets. E-fuels are needed in order for this to happen. Furthermore, fossil energy sources must be eliminated from the supply chain of the transport industry.

ESTABLISHING FACTS

Karl Dums, Senior Manager E-Fuels at Porsche and chair of the sustainable fuels and energy advisory board of the congress, explained that it is possible to produce climate-neutral fuels. In December 2022, the pilot plant for e-fuels set up in Punta Arenas in Chile by Porsche, Siemens Energy and a number of other international firms began production. According to Dums, the location brings cost benefits in terms of renewable energy, because the costs in Chile are around one third lower than in Germany. The electricity required is supplied by wind turbines specially designed for the high wind speeds in Patagonia. The water needed for the electrolysis process and the CO₂ are readily available, although the plant has also demonstrated that more development is required in the field of direct air capture. In the second phase, the plant will be producing 500 million l of fuel per year. Two further plants in the USA and Australia are already in the planning phase.

HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGIES

Across all the strands of the engine congress, the emphasis was on hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel. Alongside heavy-duty commercial vehicles, engines that run on hydrogen gas are also being developed for cars and vans. The main challenges are the injection and turbocharging systems, but other subjects under discussion included material compatibility, tribology and exhaust aftertreatment. In addition, companies are pushing ahead with the production of green hydrogen in large-scale electrolysis plants. Christian Höllinger from Shell Austria demonstrated the production process using the example of the Holland Hydrogen I plant in the port of Rotterdam. A 200 MW electrolyzer is being built here that will be powered by offshore wind energy and, on completion, will produce 60 t of hydrogen every day.

DECISION IN FAVOR OF E-FUELS

During the congress, it was announced that e-fuels and HVO would be approved for use in Germany. This decision was, of course, the subject of heated debate at the congress, as it has a direct influence on the future planning and ramp-up of plants for CO₂-neutral fuels. However, by the end of the congress, the final implementation of legislation in this area had not yet been decided on. The impact of the subsequent processes is also uncertain, but will definitely be discussed at the 11th International Engine Congress on February 27 and 28, 2024, in Baden-Baden (Germany).

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