In the research project "reFuels - Rethinking Fuels", the entire value chain of renewable fuels was examined from 2019 to 2022 - from production and distribution to practical use in different types of vehicles. For an interactive insight into the project, click on the image opposite.
Renewable fuels, known as reFuels, offer a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels and are therefore a sensible addition to electromobility.
They can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90 percent over the entire life cycle - without having to retrofit existing vehicles or infrastructure.
In order to tap into this potential, KIT has been working for several years with partners from industry, politics and science to produce these innovative fuels efficiently and economically.
refuels at a glance: The most important information in a nutshell
PDF version for download and printing
To PDFThe most important findings at a glance:
- For the first time, larger quantities of synthetic diesel and gasoline fuel were produced from renewable energies.
- The technology for producing the reFuels products was refined and further developed and their carbon and energy efficiency significantly increased.
- In addition, the developed fuels were tested in vehicles with today's combustion engines. A haulage company in southern Germany drove over a million test kilometers with a fleet of different types of trucks using the reFuels fuel.
- In order to enable larger-scale production and the market launch of reFuels, a concept for a demonstration plant on a refinery scale was developed.
- Finally, the quotas for blending into conventional fossil fuels were increased to 100 percent, resulting in a "reFuels pure fuel".
- All relevant factors, from production processes to costs and product properties through to environmental influences, were evaluated holistically for the first time.
- All interest groups, from industry to trade associations, politics, NGOS and consumers, were informed and involved in the research process through discussion events and workshops.
Building on the reFuels results, the InnoFuels project was launched in February 2023: The platform project, which is funded by the German government, is working on the prerequisites for the rapid ramp-up of the production of renewable fuels. The aim is to network the many national and European research projects on the topic. The collaboration should help to accelerate the production of larger quantities of electricity-based liquid fuels and advanced biofuels.
Alongside other German research institutes, the reFuels project teams are also actively involved in this platform.
News and updates
What's new with us? Here we share current topics, insights into our work, and previews of upcoming activities.
With the release of the short film “Market & Regulation,” the InnoFuels project’s video series is now complete. A total of eight short films were produced over the course of the project: one film introduces the InnoFuels project as a whole, while the other seven focus on specific topics. The latest video, now available, shows the issues the project partners are addressing in the “Market & Regulation” focus area and how their work contributes to a better understanding and further development of the regulatory and market-related framework for renewable fuels. All eight videos can be found here.
Learn more
The project-internal InnoFuels meeting on June 23 in Leipzig focused on personal exchange and looking ahead together. The various innovation focus areas presented their most important results and highlights from the past few months. In brainstorming sessions, future topics and scenarios were discussed and further developed. The target of the Partner Day was to bring together the results from the various work areas, identify synergies, and generate new momentum for further collaboration.
In mid-May, InnoFuels had its own booth at the UNITI Expo 2026 in Stuttgart. The trade show provided a great opportunity to discuss innovative energy solutions and sustainability in mobility with industry partners, customers, and interested parties. We were able to have many exciting conversations and make valuable new contacts. Many thanks to all visitors for their great interest in InnoFuels.
Learn more
The KIT project BlendBilanz4Mobility was successfully completed in January. The facility at the Exolum tank farm in Mannheim now enables inline blending of base fuel, bioethanol, and eFuels directly during the filling of tank trucks. This allows ReFuels to be supplied in quantities tailored to demand and specific projects in accordance with DIN EN 228. Closed fleets can already use Super E20 today, reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 20%; with the ramp-up of MtG production, further CO₂ savings can be achieved in the short term. Digital accounting is carried out using Bosch's Digital Fuels Twin, which documents the use of renewable fuels and generates certificates on the CO₂ footprint and quantities used.
Learn more
Over 620 participants from politics, business, and science gathered in Berlin on January 19–20 to discuss the role of renewable fuels in climate-neutral mobility. The InnoFuels team actively contributed to the technical dialogue with several high-profile presentations. The focus was on the reFuels approach as a bridge between research and industrial practice, as well as the challenges and prospects of synthetic fuels. The presentations impressively underscored that the technologies are available—now what is needed is a reliable political and regulatory framework for market ramp-up.
Learn more
In an interview with DB Cargo Sustainability Manager Jörg Schneider and reFuels Project Manager Olaf Toedter, the focus is on the use of HVO in non-electrified rail freight transport. Renewable fuel is already making a significant contribution to CO₂ reduction today.
It is clear that HVO is an immediately available, climate-friendly solution that DB Cargo is already using on a large scale - currently in millions of liters. Dr. Toedter emphasizes that climate protection leaves no time to wait and that pragmatic, immediately effective technologies must therefore be relied upon. The full interview can be found here.
Learn more