In the field of renewable energy, VTT has announced a major breakthrough. They will test electric fuel made from green hydrogen and carbon dioxide for the first time in vehicle use on Tuesday. The fuel is produced through the process of electrolysis, which converts water and carbon dioxide into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then refined into synthetic diesel fuel by Neste, a Finnish company.

The goal of this project is to replace fossil fuels in areas that are difficult to electrify, such as heavy road traffic and shipping. The fuel can also be used in work machines. VTT’s research director, Juha Lehtonen, stated that they will conduct a field test next to gather more information about the usability of the fuel.

On Tuesday, a tractor equipped with a diesel engine will be refueled with electric fuel during a test drive at Agco Power’s factory in Nokia. Agco Power’s product development director Kari Aaltonen said that during the test drive, they will measure factors such as fuel consumption and emissions from the exhaust gases.

This project was funded by Business Finland with EUR 3.3 million, and additional investments from companies increased the funding to more than EUR six million. This research has significant implications for transportation and industry, as it provides an alternative to traditional fossil fuels that emit harmful pollutants into the air.