Blumige Zukunft für das Autofahren? Zum Ersatz von fossilen Fahrzeugtreibstoffen mittels Biodiesel und Wasserstoff in Österreich.

Abstract

Beinahe ein Drittel oder 32 % der in Österreich verbrauchten Energie geht in den Transport. Dieser Energieverbrauch durch das Verkehrssystem ist in Österreich wie auch in der gesamten Europäischen Union stark vom Erdöl abhängig. Ein überragender Anteil davon - 1997 waren es 86 % - wird im von fossilen Energieträgern dominierten Straßenverkehrssektor verbraucht.Europe's transport system is known to use a significant amount of national energy supplies, which are met, to a very large extent, by fossil-based resources. Intensive discussions continue about how to replace, in future, by whatever alternative means, this fossil-based fuel supply in view of ever-impending price increases, resources' scarcity and the potential impact of all these changes. The report is intended to examine Austria's chances of switching private car fuel useage to a bio diesel or hydrogen fuel alternative, in order to become self sufficient. A brief review of the current level of energy being used has shown that the area useable for agricultural purposes would not be sufficient to produce the amount of bio diesel fuel needed. It would become necessary and fairly urgent to erect, in a short span of time, several thousand wind turbines closely arranged within a limited area, to generate hydrogen. Leading on from the current state-of-affairs, the combination of alternative fuel supplies and of reduced levels of energy prompted by traffic planning- and politics- related directives, would appear to be the only feasible approach to ecology-friendly sustainable mobility.