Imagine a giant magnifying glass that focuses sunlight to create intense heat. This heat is used to split water and captured CO2 into a gas mixture called syngas, which is the basic building block for many plastics and fuels. Instead of using natural gas and polluting the air, this system uses the sun to turn waste carbon into valuable raw materials.
Traditional syngas production relies on natural gas and emits significant CO2, creating a heavy carbon footprint and dependence on fossil fuels. Companies need a carbon-neutral alternative that can operate continuously regardless of weather conditions.
A solar-powered catalytic membrane reactor and high-performance composite membranes produced via slip-casting and additive manufacturing.
If you are a chemical producer dealing with high carbon taxes and fossil fuel dependence — this project developed a solar membrane reactor that replaces natural gas feedstock with renewable CO2. This allows for the production of shippable products like methanol without the 1.5 to 1.8 kg CO2 emissions per kg of syngas typical of traditional methods.
If you are a cement plant operator dealing with massive industrial CO2 emissions — this project developed a way to capture those emissions and convert them into syngas using concentrated sunlight. This turns a waste stream into a revenue-generating chemical feedstock.
If you are a solar energy provider dealing with the intermittency of electricity — this project developed a thermochemical process that stores solar energy in the form of syngas. It enables a flexible operation switching between 1500°C solar-driven and 900°C biogas-supported modes for round-the-clock production.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing cost-effective membranes and assessing the economic potential to create a commercialization roadmap, though specific price-per-kg figures are not provided.
The project is currently at the experimental demonstration stage, focusing on bringing the technology to the next level through high-performance membrane manufacturing via slip-casting and additive manufacturing.
Based on available project data, the project is developing a roadmap for pre-commercialization and follow-up R&D, but specific licensing terms are not yet listed.
The system ensures continuous operation by switching to a biogas-supported approach at 900°C when sunlight is unavailable.
The project runs from November 2023 to October 2031, aiming to provide the basis for pre-commercialization through follow-up activities after the demonstration phase.
The consortium is highly balanced for technology transfer, consisting of 8 partners with a 50% industry ratio (4 industrial partners and 4 research institutions). The collaboration spans 3 countries (Germany, Greece, Spain), led by the DLR, indicating a strong mix of academic research and industrial application capability.
Contact DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV for technical specifications
Contact us to connect with the SOMMER consortium for early adoption of solar syngas technology.
