Future Fuels in practice in Belgium
Climate-friendly liquid fuels can play a crucial role, providing heating oil systems with a perspective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70 to 90% as is the ambition of Europe’s climate policy.
In4fuels, the leading information source on sustainable fuels for heating, off-road and transport applications in Belgium, set up a pilot plant with a mix of 80% heating oil and 20% FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) as a low-carbon liquid fuel. The objective was to take low-carbon and even carbon-neutral fuels out of the laboratory and test them in real conditions.
To test a mix of 80% standard heating oil and 20% FAME, In4fuels organised a collaboration between Cargill (who delivered the FAME for the test), a local heating oil dealer (who provided the fuel and a suitable heating installation), and Weishaupt (who checked the combustion parameters and the condition of the boiler).
The test began in December 2019 on a condensing oil boiler of a showroom and office building. A mix of 1600 L heating oil and 400 L FAME was used for the test. The boiler itself was not modified in any way.
Belgium
Outcome
- The pilot plant driven by the mixture of heating oil and FAME is running without any problem. After the consumption of 2.000 liter of the mixture, not a single problem occurred. The combustion efficiency is higher than 99% (Hi) and thus complies with the local regulations for maintenance and inspection of central heating appliances.
- According to the supplier, FAME reduces CO2 emissions by 70%. Because 20% FAME is used for the mixture, the CO2 reduction is therefore a fifth of 70%. In other words: 14%.