Project description
Tuning solar electrolysers for stable e-fuels
Renewable e-fuels face a major hurdle: the instability of solar-powered systems that convert CO2 into fuel. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Solar Tuning project will address this by creating a real-time monitoring platform that observes the inside of electrolysers as they work. Using advanced imaging and laser technology, the system tracks chemical changes and automatically adjusts conditions like temperature and light to maintain peak performance. The project aims to achieve over 100 hours of stable operation and demonstrate outdoor effectiveness. By collaborating with industry and sharing open datasets, Solar Tuning’s goal is to advance durable fuel production. Ultimately, this will support the European Green Deal, helping Europe lead the transition to sustainable energy.
Objective
"Solar Tuning tackles the central barrier to renewable e-fuels: instability in solar-driven CO2 electrolysis. This project will build an operando monitoring platform that observes reaction sites inside short-stack electrolysers in real time and automatically adjusts the operating conditions. Polarisation imaging will measure quantitative imaging observables (birefringence, depolarisation, scattering) that linked to gas evolution, salt formation, and catalyst change. In-line ultrafast laser spectroscopy will capture charge-carrier dynamics from femtoseconds to nanoseconds. Physics-informed models will combine these data to choose the optimised operating conditions. This platform will then automatically tune the flow, electrolyte composition, illumination, magnetic and electric fields, temperature, and other parameters to keep the performance stable.
The ""Solar Tuning"" platform will be validated at EPFL with industrial collaborators to ensure relevance for system integration, stack development, and endurance testing. Protocols, datasets, and reference implementations will be shared under FAIR principles. Project targets are: (i) at least three quantitative optical observables at ≥20 Hz with ≤1 µm spatial resolution; (ii) ≥100 h continuous operation with ≤5% loss in solar-to-chemical efficiency under standard sunlight; and (iii) proof-of-concept outdoor performance. By enabling durable CO2-to-fuel conversion, Solar Tuning directly supports the European Green Deal and REPowerEU, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness in renewable e-fuels.
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Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences electrochemistry electrolysis
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics ultrafast lasers
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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.
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.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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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.
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland
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.