Renewable Energy

April 8, 2025

XTL Fuel: A Cleaner, Drop-In Solution for Decarbonizing Road Transport

As the pressure grows to decarbonize road transport, many operators are stuck between high electrification costs and growing emissions targets. Enter XTL fuel — a drop-in, cleaner-burning solution that can reduce emissions today, using your existing fleet and infrastructure. What is XTL Fuel?XTL stands for "X-to-Liquid," where "X" represents various sources like biomass, natural gas, or waste. These are converted into high-quality synthetic fuels — especially diesel alternatives — through processes like Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.What makes XTL fuels stand out is their compatibility with existing diesel engines — making them a direct, drop-in replacement with no engine modifications required.

As the pressure grows to decarbonize road transport, many operators are stuck between high electrification costs and growing emissions targets. Enter XTL fuel — a drop-in, cleaner-burning solution that can reduce emissions today, using your existing fleet and infrastructure.

What is XTL Fuel?

XTL stands for "X-to-Liquid," where "X" represents various sources like biomass, natural gas, or waste. These are converted into high-quality synthetic fuels — especially diesel alternatives — through processes like Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

What makes XTL fuels stand out is their compatibility with existing diesel engines — making them a direct, drop-in replacement with no engine modifications required.


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Why XTL Makes Sense for Road Transport

Lower Carbon Footprint: XTL fuels — especially when made from waste or renewable biomass — can cut CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel.

Immediate Deployment: No need to invest in electric trucks or charging infrastructure. Fleets can start using XTL right away.

Cleaner Air: Reduced particulate matter and NOx emissions help improve urban air quality.

Cold Weather Performance: XTL has excellent cold-flow properties, making it ideal for heavy-duty and regional trucks.

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How is XTL Fuel Made?

1. Feedstock Conversion: Organic waste, used cooking oil, or non-recyclable plastics are transformed into syngas.


2. Fischer-Tropsch Process: The syngas is synthesized into high-quality synthetic crude.


3. Refining: The crude is upgraded into diesel-like fuels — meeting or exceeding EN 15940 standards.

Depending on the feedstock, it's referred to as:

BTL (Biomass-to-Liquid)

GTL (Gas-to-Liquid)

WTL (Waste-to-Liquid)

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Key Players Driving XTL Forward in Europe

Romano Energy (Monaco): Converts complex waste like non-recyclable plastics into premium synthetic diesel — helping heavy-duty fleets reduce emissions without engine changes.

Altens (France): Distributes PUR-XTL (HVO100), a renewable diesel made from waste oils. Widely adopted in transport and logistics sectors across France.

Neste (Finland): Supplies HVO fuels from renewable waste, used extensively in European fleet decarbonization strategies.

Sunfire (Germany): Developing Power-to-Liquid technologies to future-proof long-haul fuels.

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A Smart, Scalable Step Toward Net Zero

While electrification will have a role, XTL fuels offer a realistic and scalable path to lower emissions for road transport — especially in long-haul trucking, delivery fleets, and public transport.

With growing availability across Europe, XTL fuels are an actionable way for fleet operators to hit emissions targets today, without disrupting operations.

If you're a fleet manager, fuel distributor, or part of the transport ecosystem — let's connect and exchange ideas on practical decarbonization.


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