Repsol now has its first gasoline “of 100% renewable origin on an industrial scale” available. It is, they say, a fuel with which all the emissions that come out of the exhaust pipe are compensated during its production. It is known as Nexa 95 and is now available at some gas stations in Spain.
What is Nexa 95? As our colleagues point out Motorpassion Motorcycleit is possible that if you have gone to a Repsol gas station this summer you have noticed that they have a new pump. In it you can find what is known as Nexa 95, a fuel that was presented last October but its availability has been increasing.
This gasoline is the fruit of development that tries to find an alternative option for combustion engines. The idea is simple: compensate during production for the polluting emissions that are produced during the burning of fuel in the engine.
Specifically, you can find this new gasoline in more than 30 service stations throughout the national territory.
How renewable? At Repsol they assure that these fuels are renewable because, to begin with, they reduce the emissions that come out of our car’s exhaust pipe by 70%. However, their information does not specify what these data are based on nor do they offer more specific estimates or figures.
The company points out that not only the fumes that come out of the exhaust pipe must be taken as a reference. To understand why it is considered renewable You have to look at the entire production process, from its generation to its distribution. And, of course, they focus on the possibility that it offers for combustion cars to generate fewer emissions and remain competitive despite emissions restrictions.
How do they do it? It is one of the big questions because Repsol barely gives any information in its information. In the case of gasoline, they point out that Nexa 95 is produced in Tarragona and the diesel version, Nexa Diesel, is produced in Cartagena.
The leap forward is that they use hydrogenation to subject used cooking oils and other organic waste to the action of hydrogen. With this they eliminate impurities and oxygen from the waste, producing “molecules very similar to those of conventional fuels.” These fuels are compatible with current combustion engines.
When this new gasoline was presented last October, Repsol did not want to give more details about the formula with which they achieve this result. In fact, in Car and Driver They pointed out during a first test of it that those responsible for the product had refused to share any information about the formula used.
And synthetic fuels? When we talk about these fuels Do not confuse them with synthetic fuels.. The latter are born in a laboratory, applying hydrogen to the mixture but also using CO2 captured from the atmosphere.
A synthetic fuel, such as those that Porsche is trying to produce on an industrial scale, is obtained by separating hydrogen molecules from water through electrolysis. During this process, a station captures CO2 from the atmosphere through a filter that “cleans” the air. When the CO2 filter is clogged, it is heated so that the CO2 is stored in a tank. Combining the latter with hydrogen produces methanol.
While renewable fuels claim to be carbon neutral because they are recycling waste organic matter and reducing polluting tailpipe emissions, synthetic fuel producers argue that the CO2 captured during the process is so high that combustion engine emissions are offset.
The problems. The main problem with this last fuel is that the energy that must be used to produce it is enormous. In fact, it is much less efficient than the use of electricity in an electric car and that means that its price right now is exorbitant. The advantage is to be able to keep historic cars and great sports cars alive and that is why Germany and Porsche are fully involved in the project.
Renewable fuel, as would happen with these synthetic fuels, comes with a higher price than conventional gasoline. This is another of the major drawbacks for its implementation since, given the choice, the customer is likely to prioritize savings over reducing emissions with their own car.
And can it be used with any car? Yes and no. In general terms, the answer is positive because, in fact, it is designed precisely so that it can be used by the largest possible number of vehicles. If your car can refuel with 95 gasoline (the vast majority of gasoline cars) it can use this Repsol fuel.
However, the colleagues of Motorpassion Motorcycle Remember that there are very old motorcycles for which it is not advisable to use this type of fuel. It is also not the best for engines where it is recommended to use 98 octane gasoline. Not, at least, if you want to get the most out of it.
Photo | Repsol
In Xataka | Porsche is very clear about where its survival lies: synthetic fuel and classics
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings