The synthetic fuel being developed by HIF Global LLC, with investment from Porsche, will help reduce greenhouse gases and promises to revive the combustion car market      

The multinational Porsche announced on Thursday (7) that it will make a new investment of around US$ 75 million, equivalent to more than R$ 355 million, in HIF Global LLC, a holding that works with renewable projects and the direct production of synthetic gasoline capable of replacing fossil fuels. Through this action, Porsche, which is headquartered in Germany, will acquire a long-term stake in the company HIF Global LLC, headquartered in Chile, to boost and produce the first commercially available synthetic fuel later this year.  

New investment by the German multinational Porsche in a Chilean company, for the production of synthetic fuel, promises to boost production

The Chilean company HIF Global LLC is involved in an innovative project, which is the pilot plant Haru Oni, located in the port city of Punta Arenas, Chile, which is being built by Porsche. According to the German multinational, the production of eFuel, an ecological synthetic fuel based on electricity, could start later this year.

When the first stage is concluded, the multinational Porsche will have two expansions of the complex, one in 2024 and the other only in 2026, increasing the previously estimated production to 55 and 550 million liters of synthetic fuel, respectively. In addition to Porsche, the process at the factory called Haru Oni ​​has other major renowned partners.

Brands such as Siemens Energy and ExxonMobil are involved in the production of fuel from hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) using wind power. With the current investment by the German automaker, it will be possible for additional plants to be developed in Chile, the United States and also in Australia.

Use of synthetic gasoline will help reduce gas emissions

Porsche is planning to initially use the synthetic gasoline which will be produced at these facilities in competition vehicles, i.e. racing cars. However, in the future, the synthetic fuel eFuel should be present in conventional cars, in the factories, and inside the Porsche Experience Centers, which offer track tours, like “Test Drive”, to their customers. According to the German multinational, synthetic gasoline will help substantially reduce carbon emissions.

According to Michael Steiner, one of the members of Haru Oni's research and development team, the estimate is that eFuel will help reduce the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere in engines where fossil fuels burn by up to 90%.

A multinational Porsche, for its part, believes that the use of synthetic fuel helps in an even greater reduction in emissions than the percentage obtained with electric cars, obviously taking into account the different manufacturing processes. However, doubts have been raised regarding the sustainable profile of this component, as the media assessed in mid-December 2021.

According to a study by the environmental team Transport & Environment, T&E, the synthetic fuel that is developed through mechanisms that help modify hydrocarbons ends up generating as much pollution as the burning of fossil fuels in conventional car engines.

Discover the representation of Porsche in Brazil

Stuttgart Veículos was the official representative of Porsche imports in Brazil in 1997, and for years helped Brazil to occupy a prominent position among the largest importers of Porsche cars in Latin America.

In mid-2015, the named Porsche Brasil took over operations in the country, officially becoming the 18th Porsche subsidiary in the world and the first in Latin America, headquartered in São Paulo/SP.

There are 11 Porsche Centers (showroom and after sales) in Brazil, in addition to a Technical Center, which are located in the main cities of the country, such as São Paulo (headquarters), Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Campinas, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Florianópolis, Porto Alegre, Recife and Ribeirão Preto.