Garanta looks to the future

Garanta looks to the future

Friends and business partners from Garanta Insurance met at Schlossberg in Graz to investigate the question: “Are the algae in the pool the biofuel of tomorrow?” Andrea Sonnleitner, an expert in the areas of renewable energies, bioenergy and biofuels, gave a keynote speech to address the questions of why biofuels will become increasingly important in the future and which advanced technologies are currently available.

Andrea Sonnleitner's summary: Climate-neutral mobility by 2050 is possible with the help of renewable electricity, liquid biofuels, hydrogen and e-fuels. However, this requires a high degree of flexibility with regard to raw materials. All available technologies would be needed and should be used. The challenges and barriers are not of a technological nature, but rather a matter of creating the appropriate legal and economic framework. This is because advanced biofuels are best suited for long-haul transport and sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as shipping, aviation and heavy transport. Sonnleitner answered the provocative opening question of her presentation by saying that algae can be used as a biofuel, but unfortunately not yet in an economically sensible way. “With our Future Talk we want to think outside the box and address topics that, although not directly related to the day-to-day business of the automotive industry, will influence it in the future,” said Erwin Mollnhuber, member of the management of Garanta Austria.