Imagine a device that acts like an artificial leaf, but instead of just growing, it creates liquid fuel. It takes sunlight, water, and CO2 from the air and turns them into energy-rich chemicals. These chemicals can then be used as a direct replacement for traditional jet fuel.
Sectors like aviation cannot easily switch to batteries or hydrogen due to cost and technical limits. There is a critical need for sustainable, energy-dense liquid fuels that can be produced without relying on fossil fuels.
A fuel production system featuring Cu-oxide-based photocathodes and an innovative photoreactor using oscillatory flow principles to convert CO2 and water into C2+ fuels.
If you are an airline dealing with high carbon emissions in long-haul flights — this project developed a system to produce C2+ solar fuels that act as drop-in replacements. This allows for decarbonization in sectors where batteries are not technically efficient.
If you are a chemical producer dealing with the need for sustainable feedstocks — this project developed hybrid photo-electrocatalysts and a specialized reactor. This enables the direct production of multi-carbon energy products from CO2 and water.
If you are an energy provider dealing with the intermittency of solar power — this project developed a way to store solar energy as liquid fuels. This transforms direct light irradiation into stable, transportable energy products.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project includes techno-economic assessments to investigate economic affordability.
The project aims to establish technological feasibility and scalability, specifically targeting a TRL 4 demonstration of the fuel production system.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing novel hybrid photo-electrocatalysts and reactor designs, but specific licensing terms are not listed.
The system produces 'drop-in' fuels, meaning the resulting products are designed to be compatible with existing infrastructure in sectors like aviation.
The project runs from 2022-11-01 to 2026-10-31, with a long-term application target for the year 2050.
The consortium consists of 7 partners across 6 countries, showing a strong European research footprint. With an industry ratio of 29% (including 2 SMEs), there is a moderate balance between academic research (3 universities, 2 research centers) and commercial application, suggesting the project is grounded in scientific discovery but has a clear path toward industrial use.
Contact CIRCC in Italy for technical specifications on the oscillatory flow photoreactor.
Contact SciTransfer to connect with the DESIRED consortium for licensing opportunities.
