Pilot plant in Graz – starting signal for fuel from Austria without CO2

Construction will start in September and the pilot plant in Graz, which will cost 15 million euros, is expected to supply synthetic fuel (eFuels) for refueling as early as the first quarter of 2023. The capacity is 100,000 liters per year.

But behind it all is a master plan on how to roll out the know-how from Austria worldwide. Because to achieve the climate goals, CO2 emissions from combustion engines (in aircraft, ships, cars) must be reduced. This can be done by using electrolysis to generate eFuels from renewable energy sources, which can be mixed with normal fuel.

Now AVL boss Helmut List comes into play: The Graz-based technology group (more than 11,000 employees worldwide) has developed a technology that is 37% more efficient than previous processes in the production of eFuels. “That’s our advantage,” explains entrepreneur Jürgen Roth (“Tank Roth”), the mastermind behind the project.

The core financing was provided by an association to which AVL, Roth and other oil traders belong. But now a company is being established (“IFE”) in which companies can participate. Roth: “We are going to start a bidding procedure, there is a lot of interest.” In a first round, the members of the “eFuel Allianz Austria” are invited. Among them are KTM, OMV, Siemens, Verbund and others. AVL will only own 6-10%, Roth himself will also invest.

An industrial plant with a capacity of 50 to 100 million liters would be the next step. “But I’ve been getting inquiries from all over the world, from Australia to Switzerland to India, wanting to participate,” Roth says. This involves investments in the hundreds of millions. “Our aim is for Austrian know-how to play a leading role in an environmental technology that is in demand worldwide,” explains Roth.