Chilean Navy trials carbon-neutral fuel in Strait of Magellan

September 1, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

The Chilean Navy has demonstrated a ‘first-of-its-kind’ operation by fueling a naval vessel, a motorboat from the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA), with e-fuel, a carbon-neutral synthetic gasoline produced by international electrofuel company HIF Global.

As informed, the demonstration took place at the Naval Energy Summit, held on August 27-28 at the Naval Club in Valparaíso.

Around 100 liters of e-fuel produced by HIF were blended in the same tank with conventional 93-octane gasoline. The fueling event, held in the Strait of Magellan, not only demonstrated the compatibility of both fuels but also confirmed that they deliver the same performance as traditional gasoline, without requiring any engine modifications, according to HIF Global.

“This fueling is very symbolic because the maritime industry is a hard-to-abate sector, and here we are demonstrating that progress is possible,” said Juan Eduardo Gallardo, HIF Magallanes Manager.

“It reflects the work and commitment of the people of Magallanes, who are now contributing their expertise from the far south of the world to a cleaner and more sustainable future for navigation.”

Carlos Zúñiga, Director of SHOA, emphasized that the event “represents a very important milestone, because our main task is to create navigation charts, and for that, we rely on different types of ships and vessels. The fact that we now have carbon-neutral fuels produced in Chile fills us with pride, as we know we’ll have the necessary tools to continue our work.”

SHOA First Lieutenant and Hydrographic and Oceanographic Naval Engineer, Harald Urbina, said that “the operation is part of an institutional research and knowledge program. We want to learn and understand more about synthetic gasoline and the environmental and institutional benefits it can offer.”

With this initiative, the Chilean Navy and HIF Global have taken the first step toward exploring a collaborative partnership to advance the use of e-Fuels in the naval industry.

E-fuels are produced using renewable energy and recycled carbon dioxide, making them a carbon-neutral alternative ready to be used in existing infrastructure and engines. This technology opens a promising path for decarbonizing one of the most challenging sectors of global transport.