Supporting synthetic fuels

11 October 2006

The Alliance for Synthetic Fuels in Europe presented their common vision for a cleaner road transport future during the “Driving towards Sustainable Mobility” conference in Paris today.

The Alliance for Synthetic Fuels in Europe (ASFE) presented their common vision for a cleaner road transport future during the “Driving towards Sustainable Mobility” conference in Paris today.

At the conference, hosted by Paris Mondial de l'Automobile, Philippe Guillard, deputy-director of the energy directorate at the French Ministry of Industry delivered a keynote speech. He underlined the importance of security and diversification of energy supplies and environmental aspects in the French energy policy and welcomed the creation of ASFE.

Launched in March 2006 in Brussels, ASFE is an initiative at the European level bringing together car manufacturers and fuel suppliers working towards reducing the environmental impact of road transport through improved energy efficiency and cleaner fuels.

The founding members of ASFE are DaimlerChrysler, Renault, Royal Dutch Shell, Sasol Chevron and Volkswagen. They share a joint vision that synthetic fuels can deliver a cleaner fuel future, while at the same time meeting concerns about security and diversity of supply.

Speakers from both the automotive and energy companies highlighted how synthetic fuels can deliver emissions reductions today and even more as the technology develops. Furthermore, synthetic fuels made from natural gas and biomass can reduce petroleum dependency, providing a cost effective, realistic development path between today’s fuels and longer term renewable energy.

The objectives of ASFE are to promote synthetic fuels and support a range of activities in the field of sustainable mobility including research, projects demonstrating the benefits of synthetic fuels such as vehicle trials, cooperation with governments and promotion of public awareness.