A recent development from Switzerland highlights how Power-to-X technologies continue to evolve from research to real-world application. Researchers at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology and member of SPIN, are developing advanced catalysts that could enable the production of renewable gasoline compatible with today’s vehicles and infrastructure.
From Power-to-X to Drop-in Fuels
At the heart of the innovation is a catalytic process that converts renewable molecules such as ethylene or propylene into liquid fuels. This is a classic Power-to-X pathway, where renewable electricity is transformed into chemical energy carriers—in this case, synthetic gasoline.
The key technological advancement lies in a new family of catalysts developed by researcher Alessia Cesarini. These catalysts significantly improve process efficiency and reduce energy consumption, which has historically been one of the main barriers to scaling synthetic fuels.
The resulting fuel already achieves an octane rating of around 95, making it directly compatible with conventional gasoline engines.
Immediate Impact: Using Existing Infrastructure
One of the most important advantages of this approach is its drop-in capability. The synthetic gasoline can be used in existing vehicles and distributed through current fuel infrastructure without modification. This allows for immediate emissions reductions without waiting for fleet turnover or new infrastructure investments.
A laboratory demonstrator is already producing around 10,000 liters per year, with plans to scale up and validate the technology under real-world conditions.
Initial applications are expected in sectors such as forestry, before expanding to broader fuel markets.
Economic Potential and Market Readiness
Early analyses suggest that the fuel could become cost-competitive with fossil gasoline at industrial scale, a critical milestone for Power-to-X fuels.
The project is supported by the “Empa Entrepreneur Fellowship,” which aims to bring promising research innovations closer to commercialization.
Why This Matters for Power-to-X in Switzerland
This development is particularly relevant in the Swiss context. Empa is a member of the Swiss Power-to-X Collaborative Innovation Network (SPIN), which connects stakeholders across industry, research, and policy to accelerate Power-to-X deployment.
Switzerland currently stands out globally as the only market where the automotive industry can reduce its CO₂ emissions both by deploying electric vehicles and by introducing renewable synthetic fuels into the market. This dual approach creates a uniquely technology-neutral framework that supports innovation across multiple pathways.
As a result, breakthroughs like this are not just scientific milestones—they are directly linked to real regulatory incentives and market mechanisms, making Switzerland an important testbed for scalable Power-to-X solutions.
A Bridge to Defossilised Mobility
While electrification continues to expand, millions of combustion-engine vehicles will remain in use for years to come. Synthetic fuels produced via Power-to-X offer a complementary solution by enabling these vehicles to operate with significantly lower lifecycle emissions.
The work at Empa demonstrates how advanced catalysis can unlock more efficient, scalable production pathways, bringing the vision of defossilised mobility closer to reality.
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