Power-to-X: Overview
How sunshine and wind could end up in a jet engine
What this tile covers Using clean electricity to make hydrogen, then fuels and chemicals. Share of use <.01% share of final energy use (2025)Share of world total final energy consumption (about 435 EJ, calculated: motor systems 13,462 TWh are 53% of electricity, so about 25,400 TWh or 91 EJ, and electricity is about 21% of final energy) that passes through this device or is used by this sector, latest year available. Electricity-based devices use electricity's 21% share of final energy (IEA WEO 2025). Overlaps between devices and sectors are allowed and noted. Just over 4 GW of water electrolysis at an assumed 40% load uses about 14 TWh, yielding at most about 0.035 EJ of hydrogen, about 0.008% of roughly 435 EJ final energy (calculated). Upper bound, since only part of this hydrogen is turned into ammonia, methanol or synthetic fuels. Source: Global Hydrogen Review 2026: Production, International Energy Agency.
Key facts
| Chain | Electrical → chemical (H2) + captured CO2 → synthetic fuel |
Included from the reference tables
- E-fuels (power-to-liquid)
- Green ammonia
- e-methanol and e-methane
Linked to the material world
H2 HydrogenNH3 AmmoniaMeOH MethanoleF Low-carbon hydrogen and e-fuelsAlso in Fuel processing
eF Low-carbon hydrogen and e-fuelsRef Refining and reformingExplore paths from here
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