Iceland is working on a fuel that originates from semi-active volcanoes. This should significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of cars with a combustion engine. Geely and Koenigsegg are interested.
The CEO of Koenigsegg, Christian von Koenigsegg, tells in conversation with Bloomberg that his company is seriously looking at ‘Vulcanol’. This is methanol that is made from CO2 that is released from semi-active volcanoes and which could then be used as fuel for cars, among other things. A few days earlier, Geely, the parent company of Volvo and Polestar, among others, also announced that it is continuing to test this fuel.
The technology was developed in Iceland and the Vulcanol is also made there. By capturing the CO2 emitted by semi-active volcanoes and converting it into methanol, the fuel production process produces 90 percent less carbon emissions than fossil fuels. Vulcanol can be used not only in cars, but also in ships that transport the fuel, emphasizes von Koenigsegg. “That way, wherever the fuel in the world goes, you can put it CO2 neutral in the tank of a car,” is his conviction.
The Icelandic company Carbon Recycling International has already built a factory that produces Vulcanol. Geely has previously invested millions in this company and is experimenting in China with, among other things, taxis that already run on this ‘volcano fuel’.