What are set to be the key fuels of tomorrow?
The big question now facing experts at Rolls-Royce is which fuel is set to be the most economical and most energy-efficient.
“When producing methane, methanol or kerosene from hydrogen, you have to apply additional energy and add CO2,” explained Daniel Chatterjee, Director of Technology Management & Regulatory Affairs at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “Methane or diesel could be used with existing technology and infrastructure.
Even so, ammonia or methanol might also come to the fore, especially in shipping, although there are still safety and infrastructure issues to be overcome,” he added.
The whole scenario is different for stationary engines used in power generation. For example, existing natural gas grids can be used to transport e-methane, and it is possible to produce e-hydrogen locally.
“I'm assuming we're going to see various different fuels in future, without any one of them becoming a panacea,” summed up Chatterjee, adding, “The question of which fuels we consider so future-proof that we end up developing new MTU engines or other energy converters for our customers is going to be occupying our minds a lot in the coming months and years.”