The oil company and the German startup will seek to delve into the development opportunities of a potential large-scale plant in Chile.
As part of its strategic plan to contribute to the country's energy transition towards a more sustainable development, the Chilean Petroleum Company (Copec) announced a collaboration alliance with the German startup Ineratec that seeks to analyze development options for a potential oil plant. large-scale production of synthetic fuels in the country, contributing significantly to the sustainable development of this type of energy.
In January of this year, Copec, through its investment arm, Copec Wind Ventures, announced its participation in Ineratec, as part of its process to expand its portfolio of innovative solutions in fuels, new energies, mobility and convenience.
Now, through an alliance, both companies are planning alternatives to produce around 3,500 tons of synthetic diesel per year, which will seek not only to cover the needs of the local market, but also to export the fuel.
To this end, the companies have identified a series of potential sites that meet the infrastructure development needs and are in the process of searching for an additional strategic partner that allows for sustained growth of the project.
Under this agreement, we will seek to promote the development of new types of fuels such as e-diesel , whose production process converts CO2 and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons that do not require crude oil to be generated.
It is also not necessary to make changes to the current fuel pump infrastructure available in the southern country, since this type of synthetic fuels (e-fuels) can replace the current use of diesel in various industries and consumers, without other types of modifications.
Tim Boeltken, CEO of Ineratec, highlighted in this regard that “our collaboration with Copec is a fundamental step to increase the production and availability of e-Fuels worldwide. Copec's infrastructure and market reach in Chile provide a solid foundation for this initiative.
“Together, we are ready to drive a significant shift towards sustainable energy solutions in the mobility sector, in line with global carbon reduction goals.”
Leonardo Ljubetic, manager of the Development Division of Copec, highlighted that “As a company we constantly look for innovative technologies that allow us to expand our role in the fuel sector and provide solutions to the new needs of industries, people and the country. Ineratec represents a real alternative to decarbonize those industries that cannot be electrified, which today is essential to achieve the energy transition commitments that we have as a country.
This technology will allow us to offer scalable energy solutions to current and future environmental requirements, which is why we are very excited about this alliance and we hope to soon find potential partners to materialize this initiative.”
