Future Fuels in practice: Field tests with low-carbon liquid fuel FAME
Climate-friendly liquid fuels can play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with the potential to decrease emissions by 90%, a key ambition of Europe’s climate policy.
In4fuels, the leading information source on sustainable fuels for heating, off-road, and transport applications in Belgium, has established a pilot plant that utilises a blend of 80% heating oil and 20% FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) as a low-carbon liquid fuel.
The goal of this initiative is to transition low-carbon and even carbon-neutral fuels from the laboratory to real-world testing conditions.
To test a blend of 80% standard heating oil and 20% FAME, In4fuels organized a collaboration involving Cargill, which supplied the FAME for the test, a local heating oil dealer that provided the fuel and a suitable heating installation, and Weishaupt, which checked the combustion parameters and the condition of the boiler.
The test began in December 2019 using a condensing oil boiler located in a showroom and office building. A total of 1,600 liters of heating oil and 400 liters of FAME were used for the experiment. The boiler itself was not modified in any way.
Belgium
Outcome
- The pilot plant, which operates using a mixture of heating oil and FAME, is functioning smoothly. After consuming 2,000 liters of this mixture, no issues have arisen. The combustion efficiency exceeds 99% (High Efficiency), thereby meeting local regulations for the maintenance and inspection of central heating appliances.
- According to the supplier, FAME reduces CO2 emissions by 70%. Since 20% of the mixture consists of FAME, the CO2 reduction achieved is 14%.