Outlook for the use of these fuels
Although there are many advantages to using this type of synthetic fuel, the objectives agreed upon at the European level in energy transition seem to be tipping the balance towards other solutions such as the electrification of mobility. Proof of this is the measure approved on 28 June by the European Union to prohibit the sale of vehicles with combustion engines as of 2035, but leaving open the possibility of registering combustion engines that run on renewable fuels, such as zero-emission synthetic fuels. A regulation that has sparked significant controversy in the sector and that, added to the prohibition of circulation of polluting vehicles after 1 January 2050, makes the future of synthetic fuels uncertain due to this type of regulation.
Many speak of technological neutrality and the European Union betting equally on all technologies contributing to climate neutrality, not favouring some over others. Such is the case of Juan Antonio Carillo, President of the AOP (Spanish Association of Petroleum Products Operators ) and Executive Director of Refining at Repsol, who commented in the daily newspaper Expansion that "all sectors should be allowed to tread firmly in this transaction and not exclude any solution that could contribute to achieving the ultimate goal." At the end of the day, we are all rowing in the same direction and playing all the cards we have available.
Despite the most recent controversies on this issue, it is clear that committing to the energy transition and the decarbonisation of transport must be a priority at all levels in the European Union. Synthetic renewable fuels can play a significant role in this process if they are allowed to become one of the key alternatives to facilitate the shift towards a much more sustainable mobility model in the future.
