The "end of combustion engines" in 2035 has already been decided. Vehicles based on eFuels are exempt from this. The search for alternative, renewable energy sources is in full swing and is constantly making headlines. Ever since the conflicts in the Middle East, governments of Western nations have been under pressure to find alternatives to fossil fuels, also in terms of environmental protection. The basic components of the new energy systems are electricity, which has to be converted for transportation using electrolysis, and the resulting hydrogen. In order to meet the future demand for hydrogen in Germany, import scenarios must also be taken into account in the overall concept. Due to the challenging properties of hydrogen during transportation and storage, further refinement into eFuels such as methanol or ammonia is required.

On 06.03.2024, the workshop "Why eFuels? Energy industry, efficiency and costs" took place. It was hosted by the Hzwo e.V. cluster platform and the Chair of Combustion Engineering and Drive Technology at TU Dresden. Together with the members of Hzwo e.V., 40 experts from science and industry discussed the current energy situation in Germany. The discussions focused on the challenges of producing hydrogen and the opportunities and potential of using eFuels.