On Tuesday, Nokia will conduct a test drive with a tractor equipped with a diesel engine, which will be refueled with electric fuel. This marks the first time that technology research center VTT will test electric fuel made from green hydrogen and carbon dioxide for use in vehicle applications. The fuel is made by combining carbon dioxide and water with electrical energy, with hydrogen being an important intermediate product.

The project has received funding from Business Finland and the companies involved have also invested in its parallel research and product development efforts. The project aims to develop electric fuels for commercial applications and industrial-scale production.

The responsible leader of the project, research professor at VTT Juha Lehtonen, says that the fuel can be used to replace fossil diesel fuel in areas that are difficult to electrify, such as heavy road traffic and shipping. It can also be used in work machines. “Next, we aim to get information about the usability of the fuel through a field test,” he says.

During the test drive at Agco Power’s factory in Nokia, a tractor equipped with a diesel engine is refueled with electric fuel. The fuel consumption and emissions in the exhaust gases are measured during the several-hour test drive. Agco Power’s director of product development Kari Aaltonen says that this is an important step towards developing sustainable transportation solutions for heavy machinery and vehicles.