Result description
As the sustainable production potential of biofuels is limited, radically different non-biomass non-fossil fuel production pathways must be developed. SUN-to-LIQUID develops a technology that has the potential to meet the future renewable fuel demand with a high potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction. The primary result of SUN-to-LIQUID is the scale-up and experimental demonstration of the production of solar liquid hydrocarbon fuels. The project advanced the technology from the 4-kW setup in the laboratory to the field at a pre-commercial 50-kW scale.
SUN-to-LIQUID hydrocarbon fuel is produced from the abundant feedstocks H2O, CO2 and solar energy without the conflict of using arable land. Therefore, in the long term it may have a profound positive impact on the energy supply security worldwide. The solar fuel minimizes the carbon footprint of e.g. aviation and promotes the socio-economic development of indigent regions with high levels of sunlight and dry, non-arable land.
Key innovations include an advanced solar heliostat field for the strong concentration of solar energy to create temperatures of 1500°C in a 50-kW solar thermochemical reactor, and optimized redox materials based on ceria to produce solar synthesis gas from H2O and CO2 in the reactor. The solar synthesis gas, a mixture of H2 and CO, is processed on-site to liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
For future directions for R&I on the roadmap of maturity gates to a commercial plant, a MW-scale plant study identified several key factors for the next milestones.
The technology has the potential of jet fuel production at estimated costs of 2.0 €/L in the baseline case and of 1.2 €/L under more favourable conditions, and more than 80% greenhouse gas emission reduction.
This pathway of solar fuel production is truly scalable as less than 1% of the arid land is sufficient to meet the global fuel demand. It does not compete with food production. It requires a high level of direct solar radiation which is typically found in countries with vast areas of arid non-arable land. The construction of large-scale production facilities could therefore bring employment and wealth to economically challenged regions
Addressing target audiences and expressing needs
- To raise awareness and possibly influence policy
- Grants and Subsidies
- Help in technical expertise
- Collaboration
- Fellowship to advance my/our research
Researchers, developers or supplier of CO2 from cost-efficient direct air capture
Researchers, developers or supplier of cost-efficient high-precision ultra-high-flux heliostat field control and tracking
Researchers, developers or supplier of technology for solar-thermochemical splitting of water and CO2
Researchers, developers or supplier of high-temperature (1500°C) heat transfer and storage
Policy and decision makers in renewable energy, carbon accounting and climate protection
Producers, suppliers, users and any other stakeholder of sustainable aviation fuels
- Public or private funding institutions
- EU and Member State Policy-makers
- International Organisations (ex. OECD, FAO, UN, etc.)
- Research and Technology Organisations
- Academia/ Universities
R&D, Technology and Innovation aspects
TRL 1-3: research and development for
- material solar-thermochemical reaction
- advanced redox reactant structures
- scaling properties, technology potenials and strategies for MW- to GW-scale pre-commercial pilot plants
TRL 3-5: system-level research development for
- coherent optimization of the solar concentration system in combination with the reciver-reactor assembly
- integrated solar fuel plant
Result submitted to Horizon Results Platform by ABENGOA ENERGIA SA
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