Significance of Synthetic Methane for Energy Storage and CO₂ Reduction in the Mobility Sector

The introduction of synthetic fuels is one approach to reducing CO₂ emissions in the transport sector. In this context, synthetic methane is promising due to the high degree of development of the technology and easy substitution in the vehicle fleet. In particular, the existing infrastructure including gas grid, gas storage, and filling stations as well as existing trade mechanisms allow a comparatively fast substitution of fossil natural gas by synthetic methane for light and heavy duty vehicles. This study discusses the direct potential for substitution of parts of the newly registered vehicle fleet with gas vehicles, fueled with synthetic methane, and compares it to the potential of using fuel cell electric vehicles relying on hydrogen. The production path of hydrogen and synthetic methane is analyzed with respect to electricity demand and overall associated CO₂ emissions. The result is an estimate of the well-to-wheel CO₂ emissions of vehicles fueled with hydrogen or synthetic methane.