Cars competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup series this year are running on nearly carbon-neutral fuel. This fuel is produced at the Haru Oni plant in Chile by synthesizing renewable hydrogen made via electrolysis, using wind-generated electricity. The CO2 used in making the fuel comes from bio sources, though future iterations will use direct air capture (DAC).
Since 2021, the series has used a second-generation, bio-based, partially synthetic fuel. This year's trial introduces fully synthetic renewable fuel in its pure form for race cars. Unlike production Porsches, the race cars' engine control units (ECUs) are manually mapped to suit this renewable fuel, requiring no additional mechanical modifications.
The Haru Oni plant was chosen due to its consistent wind, which allows its 3.4MW turbine to operate at full load for 270 days per year, compared to 66 days in Germany. The electricity generated is used to electrolyze water, creating renewable hydrogen. This hydrogen, combined with CO2 and processed methanol, forms the synthetic petrol.
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup supports eight Formula 1 races this year, with the first held in Imola. The 32 race cars are expected to consume 50,000 liters of renewable fuel during the season. The Haru Oni plant, operational at scale since 2022, has an annual output capacity of 130,000 liters. Porsche aims for a global production mix of 80% pure-electric cars by 2030, alongside the use of e-fuels.