{"id":7936,"date":"2013-06-28T11:27:45","date_gmt":"2013-06-28T18:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=7936"},"modified":"2013-06-28T11:29:43","modified_gmt":"2013-06-28T18:29:43","slug":"audi-opens-e-gas-plant-in-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/audi-opens-e-gas-plant-in-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"Audi Opens e-Gas Plant in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

Audi takes the environment seriously, and in a statement of corporate responsibility<\/a>, shows that doing good for clean air can help the company do well in the competitive car market.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Company is establishing a portfolio of sustainable sources of energy as part of its Audi e-gas project. Renewably generated electricity from wind or solar power, water and carbon dioxide are used to produce hydrogen and synthetic methane, the Audi e-gas. The plant that Audi has built in Werlte, Germany is now in the commissioning phase. It produces the fuel for the first CNG model from Audi, the new A3 Sportback g-tron, which will be launched before the end of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Audi’s e-gas plant in Werlte, Germany<\/p><\/div>\n

Opening the Werlte e-gas plant will help Audi develop a chain of sustainable energy carriers, producing and distributing liquid fuels for which their cars will be specifically designed.<\/p>\n

According to Green Car Congress.com<\/em><\/a>, the plant can convert six megawatts of input power, using renewable electricity for electrolysis to produce hydrogen and oxygen.\u00a0 Since there is no well-established network of hydrogen fuel stations in Germany (or anywhere else, for that matter), Audi reacts the H2<\/sub> with CO2<\/sub> in a methanation unit to make renewable synthetic methane.<\/p>\n

Audi claims the fuel is virtually identical to fossil-based natural gas and can use existing infrastructure for distribution \u2013 Germany has a natural gas network which will begin receiving Audi gas this fall.<\/p>\n

Green Car Congress reports, \u201cThe Audi e-gas plant will produce about 1,000 metric tons of e-gas per year, chemically binding some 2,800 metric tons of CO2<\/sub>. This roughly corresponds to the amount that a forest of more than 220,000 beech trees absorbs in one year. Water and oxygen are the only by-products.\u201d<\/p>\n

Audi explains that carbon dioxide used by the Werlte e-gas plant comes from the exhaust flow of an adjacent biomethane plant operated by the energy utility EWE, and is separated from the biogas produced from organic waste to obtain high-purity biomethane.<\/p>\n

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Audi’s e-gas plant shows major components, built and commissioned in only 10 months<\/p><\/div>\n

Audi e-gas could be used to store energy generated by wind or solar energy to fill lulls in those generating systems, but most of the gas will be destined for g-tron cars from the manufacturer.\u00a0 1,500 new A3 sportback g-trons could go 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) per year each on the e-gas produced at Werlte.<\/p>\n

To ensure that Audi gas is burned in Audi cars, customers can order a quota of e-gas when they purchase the car, opening an accounting process through the customer\u2019s Audi e-gas refueling card.\u00a0 The process makes sure Audi supplies the amount of gas they purchase is supplied to the grid by Audi \u2013 although it may not be directly from northern Germany.\u00a0 To balance their accounts, Audi will feed e-gas into the overall distribution system to replace the amount customers pump at CNG filling stations.<\/p>\n

The A3 uses less than 3.5 kilograms (worth about 4 euros or $4.55) of e-gas per 100 kilometers (62 miles).\u00a0 The cars using e-gas are climate neutral.\u00a0 CO2 emissions from the car have been bound during e-gas production.\u00a0 In a life cycle analysis (LCA), Audi claims that even with construction and operation operation of the plant, e-gas\u2019s CO2 emissions are below 20 grams per kilometer \u2013 about one-fifth of European goals for automobiles.<\/p>\n

The A3 stores its 14 kilograms (30.8 pounds) of e-gas in two compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders under the luggage compartment floor.\u00a0 Tanks are relatively lightweight, made of an inner layer of impermeable polyamide and two outer layers of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).<\/p>\n

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Two lightweight, but spare-tire replacing cylinder hold e-gas for low-cost driving<\/p><\/div>\n

An electronic gas pressure regulator controls flow according to driver demands, and when e-gas drops to 0.6 kg (1.32 pounds), switches over to gasoline mode.\u00a0 Audi explains the car is \u201cfully bivalent,\u201d and can run 400 kilometers (248 miles) on e-gas and another 900 km (560 miles) on gasoline.\u00a0 With over 800 miles possible, drivers should experience little \u201crange anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n

With another approach to creating e-fuels<\/a> starting operations in Hobbs, New Mexico, Audi seems intent on becoming a full-service automobile producer and service provider.\u00a0 With Tesla installing a network of Superchargers and battery switching stations, such services may become a part of all car maker\u2019s networks \u2013 which might become problematical for existing fuel distributors.<\/p>\n