PHOTOelectrocatalytic systems for Solar fuels energy INTegration into the industry with local resources

Project Information

PHOTOSINT

Grant agreement ID: 101118129

DOI

10.3030/101118129

EC signature date 20 June 2023

Start date 1 September 2023

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 4 993 752,51

EU contribution

€ 4 993 752,50

Coordinated by

IDENER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AIE
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PHOTOSINT (PHOTOelectrocatalytic systems for Solar fuels energy INTegration into the industry with local resources)

Reporting period: 2025-03-01 to 2026-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The chemical industry faces significant challenges in integrating renewable energy into its highly energy-intensive processes. The PHOTOSINT project addresses this by developing sustainable, solar-driven artificial photosynthesis technologies to produce green hydrogen and methanol. Using only sunlight, industrial CO2 emissions, and secondary wastewater as feedstocks, the project aims to make chemical plants more self-sufficient while eliminating reliance on fossil fuels.
The project’s core objective is to pioneer novel, scalable photoelectrochemical (PEC) methods. This involves developing advanced earth-abundant catalysts, optimising PEC cell architectures, and integrating state-of-the-art perovskite photovoltaic (PV) modules with innovative optical concentration and thermal management systems to maximise solar-to-fuel efficiency.
Transitioning from laboratory-scale prototypes to industrial-scale tandem PEC pilots, the project will validate these renewable energy carriers in real-world applications, such as high-temperature fuel cells, combustion engines, and glass-melting furnaces. By converting harmful waste streams into valuable energy vectors, the technology directly supports the European Green Deal, enhancing energy security and industrial competitiveness while accelerating the transition towards a climate-neutral economy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the second reporting period, the project successfully transitioned from fundamental catalyst discovery to component scale-up, system integration, and preliminary industrial validation for sustainable methanol and hydrogen production.
- Catalyst Development and Scaling: Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrode preparation was successfully scaled up using automated spray-coating on nickel foam. Substrate corrosion at near-neutral pH was resolved by introducing a conductive polyaniline (PANI) interlayer, yielding stable performance for over 200 hours. For methanol production, cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) catalysts on carbon nanotubes were optimised. Electrode flooding was effectively mitigated using hydrophobic PTFE integration and controlled back-pressure, significantly enhancing Faradaic efficiency.
- Process Modelling: A predictive mathematical framework successfully reproduced experimental data for hydrogen, oxygen, and methanol production with >99.9% accuracy. Linking catalyst composition to overall performance provided deep mechanistic insights. This kinetic modelling was integrated with downstream analyses to evaluate mass and energy balances, creating a complete digital representation of the process.
- Hardware and System Integration: Three design iterations of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) tandem cell resulted in a robust, leak-free architecture using intrinsic corrosion-resistant materials (titanium, pure nickel, stainless steel) and O-ring sealing. Concurrently, large-area perovskite solar modules were scaled to achieve up to 10.5% efficiency. To guarantee the strict long-term operational stability required for upcoming industrial pilots, fully encapsulated commercial perovskite modules were successfully integrated.
- Industrial Implementation and Sustainability: Waste streams from four industrial sectors (fertilisers, biogas, glass, and ceramics) were analysed. The study confirmed the viability of using direct post-combustion flue gases as CO2 feedstock and defined the necessary pretreatment steps. Preliminary Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) demonstrated lower environmental impacts than fossil routes, identifying CO2 purification and PV panel manufacturing as primary impact drivers. Corresponding Life Cycle Costing (LCC) indicated that while current micro-scale costs remain high, scaling up the system and integrating energy storage are the primary pathways to economic competitiveness.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project has achieved significant technological advancements in solar-driven artificial photosynthesis, addressing critical bottlenecks in stability, scalability, and industrial integration:
- Advanced Earth-Abundant Electrocatalysts: Overcame the rapid dissolution of metallic substrates (e.g. nickel foam) at near-neutral pH by introducing a conductive polyaniline (PANI) interlayer, successfully sustaining high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance for over 200 hours.
- High-Selectivity CO2 Reduction: Enhanced methanol Faradaic efficiency using cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) catalysts on carbon nanotubes. Novel gas diffusion electrodes with integrated hydrophobic materials (PTFE) and controlled back-pressure successfully mitigated the electrode flooding limitations typical of current state-of-the-art systems.
- Robust Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Architecture: Designed a highly resilient tandem cell using intrinsic corrosion-resistant materials (titanium, stainless steel 904L) and an innovative O-ring sealing concept, eliminating conventional flat-gasket leakage during multi-cell scaling.
- Large-Area Perovskite Solar Modules: Scaled photovoltaic technology to achieve 10.5% power conversion efficiency using a double electron transport layer (TiO2/SnO2). Furthermore, the project integrated fully encapsulated commercial modules to guarantee the operational stability required for harsh industrial pilots.
- Holistic Process Modelling: Developed a predictive multiphysics model that uniquely bridges fundamental mechanistic data (adsorption energies, activation barriers) directly with macroscopic mass balances, energy evaluations, and downstream purification requirements.

Potential Impacts
The project holds the potential to significantly disrupt how energy-intensive chemical industries source their fuels and manage their waste streams.
- Decarbonisation of Heavy Industry: By generating green hydrogen and methanol directly on-site using only solar energy, the technology provides a sustainable alternative to fossil-based feedstocks. This directly supports the European Green Deal's objectives for climate neutrality and industrial decarbonisation.
- Circular Economy Integration: A key impact of the project is its capability to utilise raw industrial waste streams—specifically unrefined post-combustion flue gases and secondary industrial wastewater. By bypassing conventional, highly expensive CO2 capture and purification units, the technology offers a highly circular, cost-effective route to fuel generation.
- European Energy Security: Enabling chemical plants (such as fertiliser, glass, and ceramics manufacturers) to produce their own fuel vectors on-site enhances industrial self-sufficiency, buffering the European market against external energy supply disruptions and volatile natural gas prices.