Mazda injects resources into biofuel research

Mazda is standing by the humble petrol engine, throwing technical resources behind research being conducted into biofuels.

While many jurisdictions around the world are implementing bans on traditional internal combustion vehicles from as early as 2030, Mazda believes microalgae-based biofuels could unlock drastic CO2 reductions as part of a broader ‘multi-solution’ approach to emissions.

“When burnt, algae biofuel only releases CO2 recently removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis as the algae grew. Mazda considers its development to be critical to achieving the carbon-neutrality of cars powered by the internal combustion engine,” the car-maker said in a statement.

That isn’t biofuel’s only advantage, either, according to Mazda. Algae-based fuels can be “farmed on land unsuitable for agriculture, can be grown with minimal impact on freshwater resources, can be produced using saline and wastewater, have a high flash point, and are biodegradable and relatively harmless to the environment if spilled”.

Current stumbling blocks for algae-based biofuels include high costs a need for better productivity. However, Mazda intends to help with a breakthrough by providing technical support to research being conducted at Hiroshima University and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Mazda hopes that, with the help of its technical support, biofuels could be created for widespread adoption. The investment comes as Mazda seeks to reducing its ‘well-to-wheel’ CO2 emissions by 50 per cent between 2010 and 2030, and to 90 per cent by 2050.

Mazda is clearly hedging its bets on CO2 reduction, developing its MX-30 electric car, SKYACTIV-X spark-controlled compression ignition and mild-hybrid powertrains across various global markets.

The biofuel investment is another avenue.

“Expecting that internal combustion engines combined with some form of electrification will still account for some 95 percent of the vehicles it produces in 2030, and that liquid fuel will remain dominant in the automotive industry until at least 2040, Mazda considers a renewable liquid fuel essential to drastic CO2 reduction,” the car-maker said.