What it Is:
E-Fuels (short for electrofuels) are synthetic fuels produced using renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) or nitrogen. The core ingredients typically include:
- Green hydrogen (made via water electrolysis using renewable energy)
- Captured CO₂ (from air or industrial processes)
These are then combined through chemical synthesis processes (like Fischer–Tropsch or methanation) to produce liquid or gaseous fuels, such as:
- Synthetic diesel, gasoline
- Methanol, ammonia
- Synthetic methane or jet fuel (e-kerosene)
Unlike biofuels, E-Fuels don’t rely on biomass and instead use electricity as the main input.
Why It’s Disruptive:
E-Fuels are considered disruptive because they:
- Decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors like aviation, shipping, and heavy industry.
- Are drop-in replacements for fossil fuels, usable in existing engines, pipelines, and infrastructure — no major retrofitting needed.
- Enable closed carbon cycles: CO₂ is captured and reused instead of released.
- Make long-distance energy transport possible by converting electricity into energy-dense liquids/gases.
- Allow energy storage at scale, unlike batteries, over weeks or months.
This means E-Fuels offer a practical bridge between today’s fossil-based systems and a fully renewable energy future.
Applications:
E-Fuels are particularly suitable for sectors where electrification is difficult or impractical:
| Sector | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Aviation | E-kerosene or synthetic jet fuels for long-haul flights |
| Shipping | Ammonia, methanol, synthetic diesel for marine engines |
| Heavy Industry | Fuel substitutes for high-temperature processes (steel, cement, chemicals) |
| Trucking & Rail | Synthetic diesel or hydrogen-derived fuels |
| Power Generation | Backup fuel for grid stability using synthetic gas |
| Existing Vehicles | Blending or replacing fossil gasoline/diesel in current engines |
Future Potential:
E-Fuels have strong long-term potential to:
- Help achieve net-zero carbon goals by 2050, especially where direct electrification stalls.
- Support a just transition by using current fuel infrastructure (refineries, transport, engines).
- Enable global energy trade: countries with abundant solar/wind can export E-Fuels.
- Complement intermittent renewables by converting surplus electricity into storable fuels.
However, challenges remain:
- High costs today (mainly due to electricity and electrolyzer costs)
- Energy inefficiency vs direct electrification
- Need for scaling up infrastructure (CO₂ capture, electrolyzers, reactors)
With advancements in technology and policy support (like carbon pricing, mandates), E-Fuels are expected to play a key role in decarbonizing sectors left behind by the battery revolution.
Here’s a summary of current research areas in E‑Fuels technology + a list of key journals (open, hybrid) that often publish on E‑Fuels / synfuels / related fields. I also note indexing in Scopus, SCI (or SCIE), etc., where possible. If you want, I can also give a list specific to CSI Tools.
Current Research Areas in E‑Fuels Technology
These are active areas where researchers are focusing, many overlapping:
| Area | Description / Key Challenges |
|---|---|
| CO₂ Capture & Utilization | Capturing CO₂ from point sources (flue gas) or directly from air (DAC), then using it as feedstock. Key issues: cost, energy penalties, purity, scaling. |
| Green / Renewable Hydrogen Production | Producing hydrogen via electrolysis (PEM, solid oxide, alkaline, etc.) using renewable electricity. Efficiency, cost, durability are challenges. |
| Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction (CO₂RR) | Using catalysts (metal, alloy, nanostructured, etc.) to reduce CO₂ (with H₂O / proton sources) to fuels like CO, methane, methanol, ethanol, etc. Selectivity, overpotentials, stability are big constraints. |
| Catalyst & Reaction Engineering | Developing catalysts (heterogeneous, homogeneous, nanostructured) that are selective, stable, cheap. Also reactor design (electrolysers, flow cells), scale‑up, combining capture + conversion. |
| Power‑to‑Liquid / Power‑to‑Gas Processes | Converting renewable electricity → H₂ + CO / syngas → liquid fuels (via Fischer‐Tropsch, methanol routes, etc.) or gaseous fuels; integration, efficiency, thermodynamics. |
| Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) & Techno‑Economic Analyses (TEA) | Evaluating whole‑system emissions, energy inputs, costs, footprint; comparison to conventional fuels and other decarbonization paths. |
| System Integration & Infrastructure Compatibility | How to drop‑in E‑Fuels into existing fuel infrastructure, engine / combustion properties, compatibility, safety, storage, distribution. Also how E‑Fuels fit in energy systems (renewables supply, grid, variability). |
| Electrolysis cell / reactor design | Membrane materials, cell architectures, scale, conversion efficiency, managing overpotentials, mass transport, electrolyte design. |
| Biological / Hybrid Routes | Using microorganisms or enzymes to upgrade CO, formate, etc. to fuels; biohybrid systems; coupling electrochemical + biological. |
| Emission & Combustion Studies | Studying emissions (NOx, soot, particulates) when E‑Fuels are burned; optimizing for low emissions. |
Key Journals for Publishing E‑Fuels Research
Here are several journals — categorized by whether they are open access (OA), hybrid, or subscription but indexed and high‑profile. I list at least 3 in each category (where possible), with notes on Scopus / SCI indexing.
Fully Open Access Journals
| Journal | Scope / Relevance to E‑Fuels |
|---|---|
| Frontiers in Fuels | Covers synfuels, non‑carbon based fuels, solar fuels, biofuels; all open access. (Frontiers) |
| Journal of Renewable Fuels (JRF) | Focused directly on renewable fuels, synthetic fuels, biofuels. Good match. Fully gold OA. (Scilight Press) |
| Sustainable Energy & Fuels (Royal Society of Chemistry) | Publishes work on sustainable generation of fuels, catalysis, CO₂ utilization, etc. (scholarworks.dongguk.edu) |
| International Journal of Alternative Fuels and Energy | Includes alternative fuels and related sciences. OA journal. (pubs.thepsm.net) |
Hybrid / Subscription Journals (Allow OA or subscription; accept E‑Fuel topics)
| Journal | Hybrid or Subscription |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Subscription (with some OA options) — high reputation in fuel science; publishes synthetic fuels, DME, methanol, etc. |
| Chemical Engineering Science | Hybrid. Publishes process development, reaction engineering, catalysis relevant to E‑Fuel tech. |
| Energy & Fuels | Hybrid. Focuses on fuels, energy engineering. Good visibility. |
| International Journal of Low‑Carbon Technologies | Hybrid / OA (depending on article) focusing on technologies reducing carbon; includes fuel tech. |
Indexing / Scopus / CSI Tools
- Many of the journals listed above are indexed in Scopus and in Science Citation Index (SCI/SCIE) or equivalent. For example:
- Fuel is in Scopus and SCI Expanded.
- Sustainable Energy & Fuels is in Scopus, SCIE.
- Energy & Fuels is in Scopus.
- International Journal of Low‑Carbon Technologies is indexed in Scopus and Science Citation Index Expanded.
- For “CSI Tools” – if you meant Citation/Impact/h-index type tools, many of these journals appear in those tools (Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ etc.). If you meant something else by CSI Tools, I can check.