Well-to-Wheel analysis of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for synthesized vehicle fuels

Well-to-Wheel analyses are used to accurately evaluate the energy use and global warming impact of the production and utilization of natural gas and coal-based vehicle fuels in China. The Well-to-Wheel analysis predicts the energy use and greenhouse gases emissions due to recovery, production, transport, and distribution of the methanol, dimethyl ether, and Fischer-Tropsch diesel (FTD) fuels. The results are compared with traditional gasoline and diesel fuels. The results show that natural gas and coal-based methanol, DME, and F-T diesel fuels have lower lifecycle petroleum consumption than traditional gasoline and diesel fuels, so they may be enhance China's oil security. The lifecycle total energy use, fossil energy use, and greenhouse gas emission of natural gas-based fuels are lower than those of coal-based fuels, but higher than traditional gasoline and diesel, so utilization of natural gas-based fuels will lead to potential pressure to reduce China's greenhouse gas emissions.