Making solar-based liquid fuels a reality
“If successful, this project will help Europe achieve its ambitious climate targets while also reducing its dependence on fossil carbon-sourced energy.”
Despite global action to address climate change, over 80 % of the world’s energy still comes from fossil carbon sources such as coal, oil and natural gas. When these sources are turned into the fuels used to power industry and transportation, they account for over 40 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that there are alternatives with the potential to drastically reduce carbon emissions. Direct solar fuels are produced using solar power to convert CO2 and water into biomethane and more complex hydrocarbon fuels. However, significant improvement in the photocatalysts and reactor technology is required before this can happen. Enter the EU-funded DESIRED project. “Our goal is to develop the technology and processes needed to recover CO2 and water from the atmosphere and, using solar energy, produce liquid fuels,” says Angela Dibenedetto, a professor at the University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy, and DESIRED project coordinator. According to Dibenedetto, the project focuses on developing a solar-based drop-in or replacement fuel that can fill the gap between fossil carbon-based fuels and alternatives. “For some sectors, such as commercial aviation, the direct shift to electric batteries or hydrogen is simply not an option,” she explains. “These are the sectors we aim to serve by providing a clean equivalent to today’s liquid fuels.” Although still in its infancy, the DESIRED system will produce C1 and C2+ solar fuels through the direct coprocessing of CO2 and water. This coprocessing will be done via a recyclable hybrid photo-electrocatalyst, supported on either frustules or zeolites, and housed within an innovative photoreactor. The seven European partners involved in the DESIRED project are also studying the economic feasibility, environmental benefits and social acceptability of the proposed solution. Based on the outcome of this initial assessment, the system will be further developed for modelling and simulation. “If successful, this project will help Europe achieve its ambitious climate targets while also reducing its dependence on fossil carbon-sourced energy,” concludes Dibenedetto.
Keywords
biomethane, biogas, natural gas, sustainability, renewable fuels, green energy transition, REPowerEU, Research and Innovation, renewable technologies, biomethane technologies, solar energy