You can’t get any greener
Lower CO2 emissions with fuel derived from biomass
From the environmental standpoint, the development of cars and their drive systems is largely governed by ever more restrictive exhaust emissions standards. In addition, though, measures to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions are having an ever greater effect on improved vehicle and drive concepts. At the same time, classical exhaust components like carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrous oxides (NOx) now play a much less significant role for exhaust emissions in general – and consequently for air quality – since modern cars now emit very small quantities of these gases. But in the case of the climatically relevant gas carbon dioxide (CO2) the picture is rather different.
Oil is the world’s most widely used primary energy resource, and every year its combustion contributes roughly 10 billion metric tons of CO2 to the growing greenhouse effect. That corresponds to approximately 42 percent of global CO2 output. In Germany, road traffic is responsible for more than half of all CO2 emissions arising from oil combustion. So stricter emissions standards call not only for improved engine design, but also for the development of improved fuels. With three-quarters of a billion cars now on the world’s roads, clearly it will soon be essential to have an alternative to oil-based fuels available in large quantities.
Closing the CO2 loop
As part of its Fuel Strategy, Volkswagen is aiming to ensure a more widespread use of CO2-neutral biomass alongside crude oil and natural gas in the production of liquid fuels. These fuels are similar in principle to conventional petrol and diesel. They are fully compatible not only with the existing filling station infrastructure, but also with the vehicles currently in use on the roads.
The advantage of using biomass as a feedstock is that the carbon dioxide generated during combustion of the resultant fuel has already been taken up from the atmosphere by the plants that form the biomass. Effectively, the solar energy that made the plants grow is being converted into liquid fuel by technical means. That is why we call this synthetic fuel derived from biomass SunFuel®. Fossil fuels, by contrast, lead to higher overall CO2 concentrations as a result of ever increasing volumes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.
The advantages of using biomass as an primary feedstock
The carbon dioxide generated by a car powered by SunFuel® has been taken up from the atmosphere by the plants that provide the energy. Effectively, the solar energy that made the plants grow is converted into liquid fuel by technical means. That ist why we call this synthetic fuel derived from biomass SunFuel® . Fossil fuels, by contrast, lead to higher overall CO2 concentrations as a result of ever-increasing volumes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. 
Opportunities for agriculture
SunFuel® is an extremely high-quality fuel. It is clear and free from undesirable components such as the sulphur and aromatics which are found in oil-based fuels. SunFuel® can be used in conventional diesel engines without modification and can be mixed in any ratio with conventional diesel fuel. Emissions are reduced significantly thanks to its excellent combustion properties. Particulate matter in exhaust emissions, for example, is down by 40 percent. But there is also another attractive side to SunFuel®. Using biomass as a primary energy resource for the production of fuel opens up new earnings potential in agriculture. This creates opportunities to master the problem of overproduction and the additional challenges that will face the agricultural sector in the future, not least as new nations join the European Union.
SunFuel® is not the same as Biodiesel
SunFuel® should not be confused with Biodiesel, since in technical terms it is a far superior fuel. Energy crops for SunFuel® are much more environment-friendly and produce a much higher yield than oilseed crops. Biodiesel also has very different properties from diesel derived from crude oil and can only be used in technically modified cars. SunFuel®, on the other hand, can be used to power all vehicles. The SunFuel® production process is equally suitable for the production of all important fuels: petrol, diesel and even aviation kerosene.
With SunFuel® Volkswagen has reached the targets it set itself: to curb emissions, to cut the output of greenhouse gases and to reduce our dependency on oil. In addition, this fuel now offers new opportunities in the agricultural and industrial sectors.