The Sustainable Carbon Challenge for E-fuels - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica discusses the critical role of sustainable carbon sources in the production of e-fuels, which are essential for decarbonizing hard-to-electrify transport sectors like aviation and shipping in Europe’s push toward net-zero emissions by 2050. While road transport is rapidly adopting direct electrification, sectors such as aviation rely on energy-dense e-fuels like e-kerosene (e-SAF), which require significant amounts of green hydrogen and CO₂. Shipping can use e-methanol and e-ammonia, with e-methanol being carbon-based and also dependent on CO₂. The source of CO₂ is crucial because carbon embedded in e-fuels is eventually released back into the atmosphere, so sustainable carbon sources are mandated by EU regulations, which phase out fossil-derived CO₂ by 2041. Currently, two sustainable carbon sources are viable: Direct Air Capture (DAC) and sustainable biogenic CO₂ from biomass processes. In the short to medium