Flying with alternatives to conventional kerosene to reduce emissions – this has been going on for a long time. However, synthetic fuels also become more important for national defense: it is about hydrogen and CO₂ e-fuel. The armaments group Rheinmetall and the young manufacturer of synthetic fuels from Karlsruhe closed a strategic partnership on Monday to drive the supply of e-fuel for defense and critical infrastructure and to build up decentralized production systems for 5000 to 7000 tons of so-called power-to-liquid fuel each.
The main motif for the pact is not an improved climate protection by recharging with tank CO₂-neutral fuels. Rather, INERATEC explains that modern defense strategies also depend on the energy supply: “Since the supply chains for fossil fuels are increasingly susceptible in the event of conflicts, the ability to produce CO₂-neutral synthetic fuels on site is of crucial importance.”
So far, diesel and kerosene made of fossil sources are indispensable for the military. Large quantities are necessary in the event of war. The fuel requirement per soldier is between 20 and 60 liters a day, according to Rheinmetall. The procurement of supplies is not harmless. In Afghanistan, 60 percent of all wounded and fallen from NATO partners came from the field of logistics, with a focus in fuel logistics.
Defense sector is supposed to drive e-fuel market
On Monday, the Environmental Organization Transport & Environment (T&E) alarm, Europe was threatening to lose its pioneering role in alternative flight fabrics due to slow investments. “Despite their enormous financial strength, the large oil companies on the e-kerosine market are largely absent,” says Marte van der Graaf von T&E. Start-ups would have taken the lead, but they were missing resources to finance the capital-intensive infrastructure. Ineratec is now also relating to the pact with Rheinmetall. The evidence “that energy independence and decarbonization go hand in hand,” said Backhaus from INERATEC.
Rheinmetall has been working with hydrogen as an energy source for a long time. The DAX group from Düsseldorf develops fuel cell systems and electrodes for electrolysers and works on hydrogen storage systems. Rheinmetall wants to build a large fuel network in perspective in order to secure the care of the armed forces: Giga-Ptx is the name of the vision for a network with several hundred decentralized systems for synthetic fuel. The partnership with ineratec is a first step.
Decentralized systems should be an advantage
The idea is that systems are installed close to the military associations or the pipelines that they supply with energy. “Several thousand tons of fuel” are to be synthesized on site, with renewable energies. The required CO₂ could come from power plants or cement works. Due to the distribution to many places, the systems should be more difficult to attack.
“It is not just about energy security, but about the ability to act independently – in logistics, in use and in times of crisis,” said Shena Britzen, who heads the hydrogen program for Rheinmetall. “E-fuel is more than a technological solution-they are a strategic necessity.” With Giga PTX you can create a scalable network that strengthens the energy autonomy of European armed forces.
The strengthening of the supply chains, especially with a view to the increased threat situation in Europe by Russia, is likely to be the most important aspect of the new pact – especially since there is no longer a smaller part of global emissions. The British non -governmental organizations for Global Responsibility (SGR) and The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS) estimated it to around 5.5 percent for 2022.
In Germany, the Bundeswehr has been included in the national climate path until 2045, and military also have to worry about decarbonization. However, batteries still apply to heavy vehicles as a source of the energy. Armor groups all over the world are still working on electric drives, they enable the enemy to approach silently. The Netherlands test in a feasibility study whether vehicles such as the Bushmaster troop transporter could be equipped with a hybrid solution.
The engine manufacturer Deutz also wants to grow with armor. The company has recently taken over a Dutch electric motor manufacturer. “Deutz has also delivered engines for military applications in the recent past and to this day, but the market was not systematically developed and processed,” said Deutz CEO Sebastian Schulte recently in the armor-although initially to a smaller extent. Rheinmetall, on the other hand, has been growing enormously on Ukraine since Russia's attack, has achieved strong increases in profits and is now worth almost 85 billion euros on the stock exchange.
