Latest news with #sustainableFuel
Reuters
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Ben Sulayem says F1 could have V8 engines as soon as 2029
July 7 (Reuters) - Formula One could go back to using noisy V8 engines with fully sustainable fuel by 2029 at the earliest, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The sport is entering a new engine era next season but the head of the governing body suggested last February that a return to the naturally-aspirated V8s or V10s was being considered after that. The V8 engines were last used in 2013, before the current 1.6-litre V6 units. "The current engine is so complicated, you have no idea, and it is costly," Ben Sulayem told reporters at the weekend's British Grand Prix. "R&D is reaching 200 million (dollars), and the engine is costing approximately 1.8 to 2.1, so if we go with a straight V8, let's see. "Many of the manufacturers produce V8s in their cars, so commercially it's correct. How much is it? You drop it. The target is more than 50% in everything." Ben Sulayem said the V8 engine would also have significant weight advantages and the sound would be welcomed by both nostalgic fans and the new generation. "To us, the V8 is happening. With the teams now, I'm very optimistic, happy about it. FOM (Formula One Management) are supportive, the teams are realising it is the right way," he said. "We need to do it soon... you need three years, so hopefully by 2029 we have something there, but the fuel is also very expensive, and we have to be very careful with that. Transmissions are very expensive." Ben Sulayem also spoke about the possibility of a Chinese team filling the final 12th slot, something he has mentioned before, and said he still felt the sport needed more cars rather than more races. "The time will come when we feel it is right to open an expression of interest," he said of filling the 12th slot. "We are not here to upset other teams. It won't be just go and do it for the sake of doing it. It has to be worth it for us. The team has to add value to sustaining the business of Formula One." General Motors' Cadillac brand is due to become the 11th team next season, a slot won after initial resistance from the other teams and Liberty Media-owned Formula One.
CNA
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- CNA
Ben Sulayem says F1 could have V8 engines as soon as 2029
Formula One could go back to using noisy V8 engines with fully sustainable fuel by 2029 at the earliest, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The sport is entering a new engine era next season but the head of the governing body suggested last February that a return to the naturally-aspirated V8s or V10s was being considered after that. The V8 engines were last used in 2013, before the current 1.6-litre V6 units. "The current engine is so complicated, you have no idea, and it is costly," Ben Sulayem told reporters at the weekend's British Grand Prix. "R&D is reaching 200 million (dollars), and the engine is costing approximately 1.8 to 2.1, so if we go with a straight V8, let's see. "Many of the manufacturers produce V8s in their cars, so commercially it's correct. How much is it? You drop it. The target is more than 50 per cent in everything." Ben Sulayem said the V8 engine would also have significant weight advantages and the sound would be welcomed by both nostalgic fans and the new generation. "To us, the V8 is happening. With the teams now, I'm very optimistic, happy about it. FOM (Formula One Management) are supportive, the teams are realising it is the right way," he said. "We need to do it soon... you need three years, so hopefully by 2029 we have something there, but the fuel is also very expensive, and we have to be very careful with that. Transmissions are very expensive." Ben Sulayem also spoke about the possibility of a Chinese team filling the final 12th slot, something he has mentioned before, and said he still felt the sport needed more cars rather than more races. "The time will come when we feel it is right to open an expression of interest," he said of filling the 12th slot. "We are not here to upset other teams. It won't be just go and do it for the sake of doing it. It has to be worth it for us. The team has to add value to sustaining the business of Formula One." General Motors' Cadillac brand is due to become the 11th team next season, a slot won after initial resistance from the other teams and Liberty Media-owned Formula One.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AB Foods' bioethanol plant set to be early victim of US-UK trade deal
By James Davey (Reuters) -Associated British Foods said it would close the UK's largest bioethanol plant by September if the government does not provide support and funding, potentially the first victim of Britain's tariff deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. Under last month's trade deal, the UK's 19% tariffs on U.S. ethanol will fall to zero, through a 1.4 billion-litre (370 million gallon) quota - a figure equating to the size of the UK's entire ethanol market. The possible closure would be an embarrassment for Prime Minister Keir Starmer who hailed the trade deal as a boost to businesses that would protect jobs and attract investment. It also underscores how Trump's assault on trade is being felt around the world, with the closure set to affect the production of byproducts including animal feed and carbon dioxide, and British arable farmers which supply the industry. Bioethanol is produced from crops such as wheat and is used to make petrol greener and to make sustainable aviation fuel. On Monday, Starmer's government launched its industrial strategy, promising to invest in the green economy. Britain has two major bioethanol plants in northern England - AB Foods' Vivergo plant and one operated by Ensus, owned by Germany's Sudzucker Group - which account for nearly all of the UK's production capacity. They have warned that the trade deal, along with existing regulations that give U.S. producers an advantage in the British market, has made the environment impossible. The industry supports thousands of jobs. Ensus, which has warned its Teesside plant also faces imminent closure, on Thursday welcomed the appointment of external advisers to work with the industry, and said it would work with the government "urgently". LEVEL THE REGULATORY PLAYING FIELD AB Foods said on Thursday it would begin consultations with employees for an orderly wind-down of its plant, while simultaneously continuing talks with the government, which it said is now committed to reaching "a sustainable solution". It said it would cease all manufacturing before September 13, its financial year-end, "unless the government is able to provide both short-term funding of Vivergo's losses and a longer-term solution." A spokesperson for the government said it was disappointed with AB Foods' announcement, having entered into negotiations with the company on financial support on Wednesday. The government would "present a plan for a way forward that protects supply chains, jobs and livelihoods," the spokesperson added. AB Foods wants the government to increase the amount of ethanol in UK petrol from 10% to 15% and support the development of sustainable aviation fuel. It also wants the industry to have access to short-term financial aid of up to 150 million pounds ($202 million). Britain's concession on ethanol was made in return for the removal of 25% additional tariffs on steel and aluminium, and a quota of 100,000 cars at a duty of 10%. Sign in to access your portfolio
Skift
04-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Airlines Commit to 2050 Net Zero Goal, But Warn Flyers Face Higher Fares
Airlines may be sticking to their net zero goal, but they are now signalling that passengers may have to help foot the bill. The airline industry is sticking to its target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, despite growing concerns over the slow ramp-up of green aviation fuels. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 350 airlines globally, reaffirmed its climate goal at the close of its two-day annual summit in New Delhi on Tuesday. 'There had been no talk of any delay to the target,' IATA director Willie Walsh said in a press conference, according to Reuters. He added that the goal remains both realistic and necessary. The target had come under scrutiny amid fears it might be delayed due to the lack of available low-emissions fuel. 'There is great concern that we're not making sufficient progress, not as airlines, but as the value chain that needs to support the airlines transitioning to net zero,' Walsh said. 'We still have time to get there, but we do need to see more action from all of the partners in the value chain.' Fuel Producers Not Playing Their Part Walsh called out oil majors and fuel producers for scaling back their investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the sector's preferred alternative to fossil-based jet fuel. The sector says SAF can reduce emissions by around 60%, but it currently accounts for less than 1% of global jet fuel use. 'We have made clear from the very beginning that the airline industry will not be able to achieve net zero in 2050 unless everybody in the wider value chain supports the industry in doing that,' Walsh said. 'I think it is a wakeup call.' While industry profits have rebounded since the pandemic, IATA warned that the cost of meeting net zero could reach as much as $4.7 trillion. Climate Costs Could Mean Higher Air Fares Reuters reported that IATA said some of that cost will likely be passed on to travelers through higher fares. Walsh and IATA have previously spoken about the risk of higher fares. "Going forward as we see increases in carbon costs, there has to be an impact on ticket prices as the industry transitions to net zero. The airlines cannot absorb increased costs," Walsh previously said. In a new report, IATA estimated that the average cost of SAF in 2024 was 3.1 times that of conventional jet fuel. It said that in 2025, it is projected to be 4.2 times that of jet fuel. Lufthansa has already introduced an environmental surcharge on all tickets from most European countries. The amount of the surcharge varies between $1 and $78, depending on the flight route. "This is due to steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements," the airline said in a statement. "These include the statutory blending quota of initially 2% for SAF for departures from European Union." IATA is expected to release further guidance on SAF deployment and financing later this year. Fuels Europe, which represents companies like BP and Shell, have rejected the aviation industry's claims. 'We reject claims from the aviation sector suggesting a lack of sustainable aviation fuel supply,' the group previously told Skift. 'Our members are on track to meet their current mandate and exceed 2030 targets. Despite policy and investment challenges, European fuel producers have rapidly scaled SAF output and lowered costs.' Skift's in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift's editorial team.
Skift
04-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Airlines Commit to 2050 Net Zero Goal, But Warn Fliers Face Higher Fares
Airlines may be sticking to their net zero goal, but they are now signalling that passengers may have to help foot the bill. The airline industry is sticking to its target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, despite growing concerns over the slow ramp-up of green aviation fuels. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 350 airlines globally, reaffirmed its climate goal at the close of its two-day annual summit in New Delhi on Tuesday. 'There had been no talk of any delay to the target,' IATA director Willie Walsh said in a press conference, according to Reuters. He added that the goal remains both realistic and necessary. The target had come under scrutiny amid fears it might be delayed due to the lack of available low-emissions fuel. 'There is great concern that we're not making sufficient progress, not as airlines, but as the value chain that needs to support the airlines transitioning to net zero,' Walsh said. 'We still have time to get there, but we do need to see more action from all of the partners in the value chain.' Fuel Producers Not Playing Their Part Walsh called out oil majors and fuel producers for scaling back their investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the sector's preferred alternative to fossil-based jet fuel. The sector says SAF can reduce emissions by around 60%, but it currently accounts for less than 1% of global jet fuel use. 'We have made clear from the very beginning that the airline industry will not be able to achieve net zero in 2050 unless everybody in the wider value chain supports the industry in doing that,' Walsh said. 'I think it is a wakeup call.' While industry profits have rebounded since the pandemic, IATA warned that the cost of meeting net zero could reach as much as $4.7 trillion. Climate Costs Could Mean Higher Air Fares Reuters reported that IATA said some of that cost will likely be passed on to travelers through higher fares. Walsh and IATA have previously spoken about the risk of higher fares. "Going forward as we see increases in carbon costs, there has to be an impact on ticket prices as the industry transitions to net zero. The airlines cannot absorb increased costs," Walsh previously said. In a new report, IATA estimated that the average cost of SAF in 2024 was 3.1 times that of conventional jet fuel. It said that in 2025, it is projected to be 4.2 times that of jet fuel. Lufthansa has already introduced an environmental surcharge on all tickets from most European countries. The amount of the surcharge varies between $1 and $78, depending on the flight route. "This is due to steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements," the airline said in a statement. "These include the statutory blending quota of initially 2% for SAF for departures from European Union." IATA is expected to release further guidance on SAF deployment and financing later this year. Fuels Europe, which represents companies like BP and Shell, have rejected the aviation industry's claims. 'We reject claims from the aviation sector suggesting a lack of sustainable aviation fuel supply,' the group previously told Skift. 'Our members are on track to meet their current mandate and exceed 2030 targets. Despite policy and investment challenges, European fuel producers have rapidly scaled SAF output and lowered costs.'
