Descripción del proyecto
Un método viable para obtener combustible limpio a partir de la luz solar
Los combustibles solares son combustibles sintéticos producidos a partir de agua, luz solar y CO2. Basándose en el principio de la reacción de «transferencia de electrones acoplados a protones» (PCET, por sus siglas en inglés), evitan la producción de hidrógeno y ofrecen una alternativa sostenible al carbón, el petróleo y otros combustibles fósiles. Sin embargo, es necesario seguir mejorando la tecnología de los fotocatalizadores y los reactores para que la producción de combustible solar sea escalable y asequible. El equipo del proyecto DESIRED, financiado con fondos europeos, tiene previsto desarrollar un novedoso sistema de producción de combustible a partir de luz solar que procesará CO2 y agua en paralelo para obtener productos ricos en energía y con múltiples carbonos. El sistema previsto será un novedoso reactor de flujo que utilizará electrocatalizadores híbridos reciclables para producir CH3OH y combustibles solares C2+ que también pueden utilizarse como precursores de combustibles sostenibles para la aviación. Los destinatarios de DESIRED son sectores en los que todavía no es viable un cambio directo al uso de baterías o hidrógeno.
Objetivo
Solar fuels, produced via solar driven CO2 and water conversion can contribute to drastically reducing GHG emissions and implement a man-made carbon-cycle complementing the natural-one, deploying the circular economy strategy. However, at present, significant improvement in the photocatalysts and reactor technology is required for solar fuels’ production to become technically feasible, scalable, affordable, secure, sustainable, and efficient. DESIRED is a high-risk high-return project, focused on establishing the technological feasibility and sustainability of a novel fuel production system – the DESIRED system – for direct coprocessing of, possibly atmospheric, CO2 and water to produce multi-carbon (C2+) energy-rich products using sunlight as primary energy source. The DESIRED system will produce C2+ solar fuels (without overlooking C1 species such as methanol or methane) by direct coprocessing of CO2 and water using novel and recyclable hybrid photo-electrocatalysts, supported on frustules or zeolites, in an innovative photoreactor design applying, for the first time, oscillatory flow principles, combined with direct light irradiation. With regards to applications, DESIRED will focus on products, which, by 2050, would be used per se or as intermediates to produce drop-in fuels for sectors where direct shift to batteries or H2 is not a technically and cost-efficient option (e.g. aviation). Knowledge of the economic affordability, environmental benefits, and social acceptability of this approach will be investigated. DESIRED promotes an interdisciplinary approach to research and innovation undertaken by a consortium of 7 European partners and complemented by cross-cutting activities including modelling, process simulation, sustainability, and techno-economic assessment as well as impactful dissemination, communication, capacity-building and exploitation activities that support the exchange of knowledge across and beyond the consortium and project.
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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinador
70126 Bari
Italia