Zero (corporation)

Zero is a British manufacturer of non-biological carbon-neutral synthetic fuel (also known as e-fuel)[2][3][4] co-founded by former Formula One engineer Paddy Lowe.[5][6] Its product has been developed as an alternative to fossil-based fuels and a more scalable sustainable alternative to waste and bio-fuels.[7] The Royal Air Force used its fuel in November 2021 to achieve a World Record first flight powered by synthetic fuel.[8] In July 2022, Zero entered a new partnership[9] [10][11] with the Royal Air Force to move towards mass production of sustainable aviation fuel.

Zero Petroleum Limited
TypePrivately held company
IndustryTechnology
Founded2020[1]
FounderPaddy Lowe and Professor Nilay Shah, OBE
HeadquartersLondon
Area served
United Kingdom
OwnerPrivately-owned
Websitezero.co

Technology

Zero uses Direct FT (a proprietary and specialised version of Fischer-Tropsch) to directly manufacture target fuels (gasoline, kerosene and diesel) at high yield and with no need for refinery upgrading.

When manufactured using renewable energy, synthetic fuel can be used as a carbon neutral or carbon negative direct drop-in replacement for fossil fuels, particularly for operations that require high energy densities - such as air travel, shipping and farming - and to ensure the continued use of legacy vehicles.[12] It can also be used as a raw material to produce various forms of plastic.

It is manufactured using a process known as petrosynthesis, in which carbon dioxide and hydrogen are combined to create hydrocarbons. The process involves direct air capture of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the electrolysis of water to obtain hydrogen.The carbon dioxide is converted into carbon monoxide in a Reverse Water-Gas Shift (RWGS) reactor and this combines with the hydrogen to create a ‘Syngas’ that is fed into a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactor to create the final hydrocarbon products. The use of renewable energy throughout the process results in the production of carbon neutral and carbon negative hydrocarbons.[13]

History

In March 2020, Zero Petroleum Limited, now known simply as Zero, was founded by Paddy Lowe and Professor Nilay Shah, OBE. Lowe is a former Formula One motor racing engineer and computer scientist who achieved 12 World Championships and 158 race wins over his 32-year F1 career with Williams, McLaren and Mercedes. Shah is the Head of Imperial College London's Department of Chemical Engineering and received an OBE for services to the decarbonisation of the UK economy in 2020, including his notable work on modelling and optimising technologies for carbon capture and storage systems.[14]

In September 2021, Zero received capital from a Glasgow-based investment syndicate, providing funds to scale its processes.[15][16] Investors included former Formula One World Champion Damon Hill.[17]

On 2nd November 2021, the company supplied its synthetic fuel to the Royal Air Force to achieve the world's first successful flight using only synthetic fuel.[18][19] The fuel was manufactured in Orkney using locally generated wind, and tide and wave energy.[20] The aircraft, an Icarus C42 microlight, was flown around Cotswold Airport. The project was part of the RAF's Project MARTIN, through which it plans to achieve its first net-zero airbase by 2025 and a net-zero force by 2040.[21]

In June, 2022, Lowe represented Zero in UK Parliament at a session held to discuss the future of sustainable fuels. He was joined by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, Motorsport UK Chair David Richards, Mercedes F1 CTO James Allison and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok.[22] In July 2022, the company announced its new partnership with the Royal Air Force which will see the joint development of fast jet aviation fuel.

See also

References
  1. "ZERO PETROLEUM LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk.
  2. "BBC Radio 4 - BBC Inside Science, Blood Clot Cure, Synthetic Fuels and Coal Mine Heat Pumps". BBC. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  3. Pickering, Chris (June 2021). "Green Tech: Zero Petroleum" (PDF). Race Tech. 247: 48–55.
  4. "The automotive future isn't all-electric, says F1 champion team chief ahead of ASI Connect debate". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  5. "Ex-Mercedes executive Paddy Lowe on Zero Petroleum's 'ambitious' targets". The Independent. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  6. Whipple, Tom. "Chemists are getting creative with carbon-neutral planes". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  7. "Stock take: Are e-fuels part of our future?". Autocar. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  8. "First aircraft powered by synthetic fuel". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  9. "Sustainable fuel set to power the Royal Air Force reaches landmark new stage". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  10. "Royal Air Force Advances Synthetic Aviation Fuels Work | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  11. Mavrokefalidis, Dimitris (2022-07-21). "Royal Air Force to fly in cleaner skies". Energy Live News. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
  12. Paddy Lowe On Leaving Williams And Winning With Mercedes | Beyond The Grid | Official F1 Podcast, retrieved 2022-01-18
  13. "Ingenia - Fuel for a net zero future". www.ingenia.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  14. IChemE. "IChemE Fellows recognised with 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours". www.thechemicalengineer.com. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  15. "Raising Partners Angels Invests in Zero Petroleum". UK Business Angels Association. 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  16. "UK synthetic fuel manufacturer secures £200k funding from Damon Hill syndicate". The Manufacturer. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  17. "F1 legend Damon Hill in Scottish-led syndicate backing new synthetic fuels firm". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  18. "RAF sets new world record for first successful flight using only synthetic fuel in 'unique project'". Sky News. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  19. Kettley, Sebastian (2021-11-17). "RAF sets new Guinness world record after first successful flight using revolutionary fuel". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  20. "RAF sets world record for first successful flight powered by synthetic fuel". The Independent. 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  21. Hoyle2021-11-17T10:25:00+00:00, Craig. "RAF, Zero Petroleum claim first net-zero synthetic fuel flight". Flight Global. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  22. "Former F1 driver Chandhok hosts session on sustainable motorsport in UK parliament". The Indian Express. 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
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