AdBlue: Shortages threaten economy and environment
Energy costs are rising and with them the difficulties of many manufacturers to maintain their production processes. The production of the urea solution AdBlue is now also at stake - with devastating consequences for the economy and the environment.
Shortage of raw materials and exploding energy costs - the automotive industry has to deal with this more and more often. Many vehicle manufacturers have had to stop or temporarily suspend operations in recent months. Although the situation has partially stabilised in this respect, the high prices continue to pose problems for the companies. In danger now is the production of the urea solution AdBlue - as well as the supply chain, on which private individuals and logistics companies rely heavily.
The diesel additive has been in short supply in Germany for some time. However, the situation has been exacerbated by rising gas prices and its consequences for the production of key AdBlue components. Ammonia, for example, which is considered indispensable for the production of the aqueous solution, is becoming increasingly scarce and difficult to obtain. It is precisely because of this lack of supply that there are bottlenecks in AdBlue production and delivery. Because without ammonia there is no AdBlue. This is a problem for anyone who drives a diesel vehicle - whether a private individual or a truck driver - because practically every modern diesel engine needs AdBlue to run at all.
Much more serious than for car drivers, however, are the consequences of the lack of the additional fuel for the logistics industry. More than 70 per cent of all goods in Germany are transported by truck and about 90 per cent of the trucks registered in Germany have an AdBlue-dependent diesel drive with SCR catalytic converter. While unavailability of the exhaust gas cleaning agent is initially only noticeable to motorists in the form of high prices and low supply, bottlenecks mean that transport companies run the risk of having to shut down part or all of their delivery vehicle fleet. Unfortunately, it cannot be ruled out that the AdBlue crisis will have a negative impact on freight transport and consequently on the entire economy of Germany and other countries.
If this trend is not reversed, there will be serious consequences not only for the economy but also for the environment. By law, the AdBlue solution has become compulsory in order to always be able to guarantee optimal exhaust gas cleaning of diesel vehicles and the reduction of the nitrogen oxide emissions caused. When the urea runs out, owners have no choice but to refill the designated tank with AdBlue. Without the urea solution, extremely high nitrogen oxide levels in Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles would otherwise be unavoidable. Should AdBlue production not be restored to such an extent that at least the basic supply of the affected vehicles can be guaranteed, a temporary conversion of the system could become necessary - and, for example, allow diesel engines to operate temporarily without the additive.
In this way, a complete shutdown of the logistics sector could be avoided. However, this would lead to considerable traffic restrictions for the affected trucks. For example, in environmental zones, where pollutant emissions are heavily targeted by the law, the entry of such vehicles would have to be prohibited. Without AdBlue, diesel vehicles emit up to 90% more pollutants. As environmental zones in Germany, as well as in the rest of Europe, become more and more numerous, all truck drivers would face an exorbitant number of driving bans, which would be unmanageable.