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Novel photo-assisted systems for direct Solar-driven redUctioN of CO2 to energy rich CHEMicals

Project description

Developing solutions for efficient, solar-driven CO2 reduction

Ethylene is an energy-rich chemical produced from fossil fuels in industry, with high commercial value and a strong presence in the global market. Targeting ethylene as the final product, the EU-funded SUN2CHEM project aims to develop solutions that will result in efficient solar-driven CO2 reduction. To do this, the project will develop all the components to be integrated into tandem photoelectrochemical cells and advanced photocatalytic reactors. It will also conduct environmental and social studies on the new technology in the context of a circular economy, its energy security impacts and the social acceptance of chemicals produced from sunlight conversion. The project will play a role in making us less dependent on fossil fuels and in reducing carbon emissions by CO2 conversion.

Objective

Gathering 15 partners from 9 European and associated countries and 3 from Asian countries, SUN2CHEM’s main objective is to develop solutions to achieve efficient solar-driven CO2 reduction, targeting ethylene as the final product. Ethylene, an energy-rich chemical produced from fossil fuels in industry, has both high commercial value and a giant global market. SUNCHEM’s ambitions will simultaneously reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emission by CO2 conversion. For that purpose, SUN2CHEM partners will conjointly develop all the components to be integrated into tandem photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells and advanced photocatalytic (PC) reactors. The technical part of this project includes applied and fundamental research on photocatalysis to improve light-harvesting and charge separation in heterojunctions and plasmonic bimetallic nanoparticles united in a PC reactor (WP2). Next WPs focus on the development of up-scalable efficient and stable photoelectrodes (WP3) and the design of earth-abundant catalysts (WP4), which will then be integrated into the tandem PEC (WP5). Both PC reactor and PEC device will be tested and characterised in operating conditions (WP6). In addition to this highly technical core, this project has for ambition to perform related environmental and social studies in order to integrate the developed technology within a context of circular economy, assess the energy security impacts on end-users and increase the social acceptance of chemicals produced from sunlight conversion (WP7). A prospective market analysis and roadmap towards the upscaling of the technology will then evaluate its medium-term potential and establish pathways towards its future industrial development (WP8). Achieving these ambitious developments by tackling photo-electrochemical cells, catalysts for CO2 reduction, light-harvesting and charge separation, SUN2CHEM will contribute answering Mission Innovation’s Converting Sunlight Innovation Challenge.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

RIA - Research and Innovation action

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020

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Coordinator

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 627 937,50
Address
BATIMENT CE 3316 STATION 1
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 627 937,50

Participants (14)

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