British start-up Zero Petroleum to produce synthetic fuel in UAE

UK-based synthetic fuel producer Zero Petroleum has teamed up with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to set up a synthetic fuel production plant in the UAE.

PHOTO: Conceptual blueprint of Zero Petroleum's synthetic fuel production plant. Zero Petroleum

The partnership with ADNOC will help the company scale up the production of its 100% fossil-free synthetic fuel, Zero Petroleum’s chief executive, Paddy Lowe says.

Zero Petroleum has created a synthetic diesel variant that uses green hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) as feedstocks. Water electrolysis to produce green hydrogen is powered by renewable electricity, it says.

Moreover, Zero Petroleum claims that the fuel is carbon-neutral since the CO2 used for production is captured from the air via Direct Air Capture. It explains that this offsets the CO2 emissions produced when fuel is burned.

“Our fuel burns clean, with carbon dioxide the only byproduct. The same amount that is emitted is used to create the next batch of fuel, creating a carbon neutral energy cycle,” the company claims. “It does not contain ethanol, is 100% sulphur-free, 100% lead-free and does not contain any traces of rare metals,” it adds.

According to the company, the UAE facility will integrate electrolysers, renewable power supply and direct air capture. The plant's production capacity has not yet been announced.

It can be used as a 100% drop-in fuel in ships without requiring any modifications to engines or fuel components. The company has partnered with Rolls Royce to test the fuel's performance in different versions of Rolls Royce marine engines.

The fuel can also be produced “at unlimited scale” given its modular manufacturing concept, the company further adds. “Once production is scaled, the target price for the commercially available fuel will be in line with fossil fuels,” Zero Petroleum says.  

By Konica Bhatt

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