Alternative propulsion with wallpaper in Europe
Discussions in the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR) have for a long time highlighted the situation regarding the availability of alternative fuels in the peripheral regions of the EU. For example, the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure sets challenging requirements for both the TEN-T core network and the comprehensive network, subject to the requirement of a recharging station with an interval of no more than 60 km. This will most likely require significant investment in infrastructure. The proposal for a regulation also requires the construction of hydrogen stations in major urban areas. Jouni Jussinniemi, 1st Vice-President of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, attended the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission Working Group on Transport in Stockholm in November 2022. Jussinniemi emphasised in the discussions that electric cars are not the only solution for future traffic. “We need a solution where electricity, hydrogen and renewable sustainable biofuels such as biogas and bioethanol gasoline replace fossil fuels. Jouni Jussinniemi has brought megawatt thinking to the discussion, which means understanding the amount of energy, for example, cars, vehicle combinations or tractors need at service stations. When 300 litres of diesel oil are placed in the fuel tank of a vehicle combination, about three megawatts of energy is transferred. The fuel tank of a passenger car is filled with 600-700 kilowatts of energy. Gas stations that refuel with large quantities of fuel every day need new substations, supply systems and cabling. We don't have this infrastructure at the moment, so it's a big investment. The need for raw materials in the electrification of motoring has also been discussed. An ordinary car has about 20 kilograms of copper, while the engines of today's electric cars have about 80 kilograms of copper. The electrification of the Finnish car fleet may require up to 200 million kilos of copper. This is practically virgin copper, because there is no circulation volume. In addition, creating a charging network requires copper and aluminum. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia has highlighted the importance of biofuels and the potential of their production in the region in various contexts. The potential and suitability of electric vehicles for northern regions is also uncertain. The potential of biofuels is not only limited to vehicles, but also has the potential to drive the transformation of air transport. The combustion engine is not dead, only the use of fossil fuels comes to an end, Jussinniemi emphasises. In Finland, there are enough raw materials to produce biogas for transport needs. A good level of support must be ensured at national and EU level to create a network of production facilities and distribution stations. In addition to this, decisions at EU level are needed for sustainably produced …
