The competition is the best laboratory for big brands to test and develop key technology for the evolution of mobility. and he Dakarthe hardest race in the world, is one of the clearest examples. For three years, since then Morocco Rally 2021, Isidre Esteve, with the Repsol Technology Lab and the engineers toyotais helping the competition in developing renewable fuel made from organic waste that can be in anyone’s daily life. And here’s the surprise: making beer or wine can be the key here.
Dolores Cardenasa Repsol researcher, highlighted for MD the fact that the fuel currently used by Toyota Hilux T1+ (Rally Raid top category) by Isidre Esteve (also in the next Dakar 2025) is made with raw materials obtained, among other things, from part of the waste from the production of well-known beverages such as beer or wine, or for example, or other materials such as banana skins.
“How is this possible? Well, thanks for the chemistry. We use all kinds of waste that are available and close to usand now they are the raw material to be used in the production of renewable fuels, diesel and gasoline, which we test in competition like in Rally Raid, in Dakar, and we can also use in our cars.”.
In the case of Isidre Esteve, it is a fuel with a 70% share of renewable originwhich is of course approved by the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
But there is more. This fuel is also carried by the cars of one of the favorite teams to win overall in Dakar cars, the Toyota Gazoo Racing.
From the kitchen to the Dakar: another fuel made from frying oil
But also, among the candidates who are in the first position of Dakar There will be another car with another type of Repsol renewable fuel of very remarkable origin: the oil. This is the case of the young Portuguese talent João FerreiraWho is the pilot? Carlos Sainz He believes that he will be one of those who continue to fight for the success of the Dakar in the future.
The Portuguese will use 100% renewable diesel fuel in his MINi X-Raid T1+, both of which will be seen on the street, at nearly 600 Repsol service stations. distributed between Spain and Portugal. In fact, when MD asked Joao about it, he couldn’t have been more clear.
“We put the fuel that is now in the car in Portugal at a service station. We put 360 liters in it at a normal gas station. And we loaded several more barrels of hundreds of liters. The man who served us was amazed to see a racing car that refueled at his gas station like everyone else and brought us so many liters,” he laughed, highlighting that ““In Portugal, in all the races we do, we refuel at the gas station near my house, in Leiría”.
The explanation of how it is possible for cooking oil to be replaced by gasoline for Dakar or for street cars is given by Dolores Cárdenas, product design consultant at Repsol: “There are managers who collect the oil, pre-treat it to remove impurities (such as food residues) and then bring it to us ready to put it in our units and transform it into fuel. -we also set up the previous industry necessary to receive other raw materials processed in our units, which will give a second life to rural environments, where it can be an opportunity,” he assured.
The million dollar question: Is it as strong?
As you know, any driver wants maximum performance in his racing car and pays attention to even the smallest detail to improve every tenth. So what does a pilot think when he finds out he will be carrying fuel made from used oil? Joao Ferreira answered.
“I didn’t have any problems since they proposed to me because Repsol is a very large company with a great history in motor sports. So for me, if they said it, I had to believe it. And it’s going well,” said Ferreira.
“Nothing changes. Nothing at all. And the engineers say the engine runs better than before. They even say it has a little more power. The fuel runs fine. The team is doing a great job. The most important thing is that We can compete with 100% renewable fuel in the best competitions in the world without losing any of the car’s performance. This year I won a lot of races in Portugal,” he emphasized.
“When we thought about it, we tested the fuel, the engineers checked everything, they saw that it was very good and nothing changed, so it’s better to compete like this without harming the environment”he added.
To compare Joao’s opinion, MD talked to Isidre Estevewhich also emphasized great fuel efficiency in the race. In addition, this newspaper chats with a young driver who risks success in the next Dakar, the great North American talent Seth Quintero, official Toyota driver and one of the great contenders for the ‘touareg’ by car. It is strong.
“We are running for a better future and with renewable fuel, it will only help our future and continue to compete. And you know… people ask about power and difference, and honestly, we didn’t notice any difference. If anything, we found it cooler and cleaner, so that definitely helps. In fact, We get better mileage and we don’t lose power. So, overall, it helps us a lot,” said the 22-year-old from California.
“Did you know that gasoline is made from the waste from the production of beer and wine?” “Yes I know! I love beer and wine, maybe that’s why we’re so fast!” he exclaimed between laughs. “But it’s strange, isn’t it? The first time you hear it you think it might not be the best,” this newspaper replied. “No, I think beer and wine are the best, we’re going in the right direction.”he added with a laugh.
Competition is essential for it to reach the streets
“For us, competition has been the key to developing these fuels. Between Spain and Portugal we have almost 600 (600 in November) service stations with 100% renewable diesel (who drives the Mini X-Raid car in Dakar with Joao Ferreira). And 1,500 by the end of 2025 of the 3,300 we have at Repsol. That is, next year, half of the Repsol stations will have 100% renewable diesel,” said Dolores Cárdenas.
“Diesel is easier to make with used cooking oils, which we get a fantastic product for diesel engines. Gasoline (brought by Isidre Esteve and Toyota) is a bit more difficult and we only have 3 points of sale in Madrid in the pilot phase of 100% renewable gasoline We would not have this fuel today if it were not for the development of the competition fuel we have learned in different competitions: we worked with Honda in MotoGP for a long time, ” recalled the researcher.
“In Dakar, Isidre Esteve’s first experience was in the 2021 Morocco Rally and with this we are improving for the 2022 Dakar. In 2022 we will transport 100% renewable diesel with the Juvanteny truck. In French Formula 4 They have been using our fuel for 3 years, the first single-seater competition to use 100% renewable fuel. And in our technology center in Móstoles in the engine laboratory we have a Honda MotoGP engine and that allows us to develop the product very quickly,” added the scientist.
“It will help in the future and in the present, because it is already a reality. We use it now and will be part of that future to have more sustainable mobility. Why? Because it helps us to reduce net CO2 emissions by use of These That is, we do not increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere Why because we close that waste to make fuels and thus close that chain, reminding that the chemical is very similar to the current ones we have in the conventional source, but it gives the great advantage that nothing has to be done neither in the machines nor in the whole logistics system, and that, for the way of producing the raw material, allows us to reduce the net CO2 emissions.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
