Imagine a machine that breathes in air and uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into plastic building blocks. It works like a high-tech solar panel that also captures heat to power a vacuum for the air. Instead of using fossil fuels, it creates the raw materials for chemicals using only the sun and the atmosphere.
The chemical industry relies on carbon-heavy processes to produce ethylene, the primary building block for plastics. Current carbon capture methods are often too energy-intensive to be economically viable.
A system comprising a full spectrum solar collector, a low-temperature direct air capture unit, and a photo-electrochemical conversion stack to turn air and sunlight into ethylene and ethanol.
If you are an ethylene producer dealing with high carbon emissions and fossil fuel reliance — this project developed a photo-electrochemical conversion unit that produces climate-neutral ethylene and ethanol. It allows you to shift from traditional cracking to a sun-to-chemicals process.
If you are a solar provider dealing with the efficiency limits of standard PV panels — this project developed a full spectrum solar collector (FSS) that splits light for both electricity and heat. This increases efficiency beyond standalone PV modules.
If you are a carbon management firm dealing with the high energy cost of air capture — this project developed a DAC unit operating at an ultralow temperature of ~60°C. This enables the production of carbon-negative products and the generation of carbon credits.
The project aims to make the process economically viable and market-competitive by reaching new efficiency targets across the DAC, PEC, and FSS units. Based on available project data, the goal is to produce technically and economically competitive sustainable ethylene.
The project is currently proving the technology at TRL4. It performs the groundwork for full deployment before 2050, focusing on a decentralized, off-grid process.
Based on available project data, specific patent or licensing details are not provided, but the project involves 2 SMEs and 3 research institutions developing the core technology.
The system is designed to be independent and off-grid. However, the DAC unit's low temperature (~60°C) allows for eventual circular integration with heat networks.
The project runs from 2022 to 2025 to prove the technology. The long-term goal is full deployment by 2050 in line with EU net-zero strategies.
The consortium is lean and research-heavy, consisting of 8 partners across 4 countries. With a 25% industry ratio (2 SMEs), the project is primarily driven by 3 universities and 3 research centers, indicating a focus on technical validation and high-risk R&D rather than immediate commercial scaling.
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