Audi presented the world’s first industrial plant for generating synthetic methane from CO2 and renewable electricity that is under construction in Werlte. It will produce gas that can be fed into the natural-gas network. 

The Werlte facility will generate enough CO2-neutral e-gas to power 1,500 new Audi A3 Sportback TCNG vehicles 15,000 km (9,320 miles) every year, arriving at dealerships in late 2013. Audi plans to launch a second TCNG model, based on the A4, in 2015.
The Werlte facility will generate enough CO2-neutral e-gas to power 1,500 new Audi A3 Sportback TCNG vehicles 15,000 km (9,320 miles) every year. This compact five-door car will arrive at dealerships in late 2013. Audi plans to launch a second TCNG model, based on the A4, in 2015. The e-gas production will begin in early 2013 and feeding into the public natural-gas network in summer 2013.

The e-gas production will begin in early 2013 and feeding into the public natural-gas network in summer 2013.This power-to-gas technology opens up new possibilities for sustainable mobility and tomorrow’s energy industry. The Audi e-gas plant, which can convert six megawatts of input power, will utilize renewable electricity for electrolysis. This process splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, or Audi e-hydrogen, which could one day power fuel-cell vehicles. As there is not yet a widespread hydrogen infrastructure, however, the hydrogen is then reacted with CO2 in a methanation unit to generate renewable synthetic methane, or Audi e-gas. Chemically speaking, this e-gas is nearly identical to fossil-based natural gas. As such, it can be distributed to CNG stations via the natural gas network and will power vehicles starting in 2013.The CO2 used in Audi’s e-gas plant is a waste product from a nearby biogas plant, operated by energy provider EWE. The CO2, which would otherwise pollute the atmosphere, is chemically bonded into the fuel at the Audi e-gas plant – making Audi e-gas climate-neutral. The e-gas plant will annually produce about 1,000 metric tons (1,102 US tons) of e-gas and will chemically bind some 2,800 metric tons (3,086 US tons) of CO2. This corresponds to the amount of CO©ü that 224,000 beech trees absorb in a year.