Definition
Transport fuels are energy sources that power various means of transport, generally to power internal combustion engines. The transportation sector consists of road (including passenger cars, trucks and buses), rail, water, and air transport used for moving people and goods from one place to another[1] . The transportation sector accounts for around 20% of the global energy consumption and is the biggest consumer of oil in the world [2].
Transport fuels are the result of refining processes that convert extracted energy resources into useable products. Liquid fuels vary based on the chemical characteristics of the primary fuel source. The absence or presence of certain carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules determines the structure of the fuel source that liquid fuels are refined from. Sources of liquid fuels include petroleum, natural gas, biofuels, alcohols, hydrogen, ammonia, or even coal. The refining and distillation process of the various liquid fuels depends on the mixture of the fuel source being used.
80% of today’s transportation fuels are derived from petroleum.