Electricity-based fuels: the future of PtX

Materials produced from electricity – known as power-to-X (PtX) – are often hailed as the universal solution as we move towards an emissions-free future, with claims that they facilitate carbon-neutral applications wherever climate change mitigation efforts are still faltering – in mobility, in buildings, in energy-intensive industry. But is it really that simple?

Look more closely at electricity-based fuels and it quickly becomes apparent that not all PtX materials are sustainable – quite the contrary. If they are currently produced in Germany without any regulation of their sustainability, their emissions are in fact much higher than emissions from natural gas or diesel. For PtX materials to contribute to climate change mitigation, clear sustainability criteria are required.