Advances in E-Fuel Production for a Sustainable Energy Future

Dear Colleagues,

The global energy transition is accelerating, driven by the urgent need to decarbonize transportation, manufacturing, and power generation. Electrofuels (E-fuels), which are synthetic fuels made by combining renewable electricity, captured CO₂, and green hydrogen, are emerging as a vital solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while leveraging existing fuel infrastructure. E-fuels can play a transformative role in hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, shipping, and heavy industry, and their development integrates advances in catalysis, process engineering, and renewable energy systems, making this research area both scientifically rich and societally impactful.

This Special Issue of Sustainability, titled “Advances in E-Fuel Production for a Sustainable Energy Future”, aims to gather cutting-edge research that explores the science, technology, and policy dimensions of E-fuel production. Its scope aligns with the journal’s dedication to promoting sustainable practices and innovative solutions for global energy challenges. By highlighting interdisciplinary approaches, this Special Issue will showcase how E-fuels can contribute to achieving carbon neutrality and advancing circular economy principles.

Key themes of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Hydrogen production and utilization in E-fuel pathways;
• CO₂ capture, utilization, and conversion technologies for synthetic fuels;
• Catalytic and electrochemical processes for E-fuel synthesis;
• E-fuel applications in the aviation, maritime, and heavy transport sectors;
• Hybrid energy systems combining E-fuels with renewable electricity and storage;
• Innovations in reactor design, process intensification, and scale-up strategies;
• AI-driven discovery and design of materials for E-fuel production;
• Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of E-fuel systems;
• Policy frameworks and market mechanisms supporting E-fuel adoption.

For this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles and reviews spanning theoretical, experimental, and computational modeling, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives that connect science, engineering, and sustainability policy.

We look forward to receiving contributions that advance the frontier of sustainable energy solutions through innovative E-fuel research.

Prof. Xinying Liu
Prof. Yali Yao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.