Imagine using mirrors to concentrate sunlight to trigger a chemical change that turns liquid acid into solid sulphur blocks. These blocks act like a battery that doesn't leak energy, allowing you to store summer sun for winter use. When you need power, you simply burn the sulphur to create intense heat for electricity.
Solar energy is intermittent and difficult to store for long periods without significant loss. Current batteries and thermal salts cannot provide the seasonal, high-temperature energy needed for industrial power grids.
A thermochemical cycle using catalysts for SO3 splitting and SO2 disproportionation, and an upscaled sulphur burner with high power density.
If you are a CSP operator dealing with the inability to store solar heat for months, this project developed a thermochemical cycle that stores energy as solid sulphur. This allows for virtually unlimited storage time and on-demand electricity via gas turbines.
If you are a chemical producer dealing with industrial by-products, this project developed a way to integrate sulphuric acid production into a solar energy loop. It turns a standard industrial chemical into a medium for carbon-free energy storage.
If you are a refinery dealing with solid sulphur waste, this project developed a high-power density burner (> 5 MW/m³) to valorize these by-products. It converts waste sulphur into high-temperature heat for industrial power.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project focuses on process cost reduction through improved catalyst distribution and reactor designs.
Yes, the project is upscaling a sulphur burner to operate at power densities > 5 MW/m³ at ambient pressure and simulating performance up to 75 MW/cbm at 15 bar.
Based on available project data, the project is in the research and validation phase; specific patent or licensing terms are not listed.
The system burns stored sulphur to produce high-temperature gas (over 1200 °C) which drives a gas turbine to produce electricity for the grid.
The project period runs from 2023-10-01 to 2026-09-30, indicating it is currently in the development and testing phase.
The consortium is research-heavy with 9 partners across 6 countries. While 77% of the partners are from universities or research centers, there is a 22% industry presence (2 companies, including 1 SME), suggesting the project is currently focused on technical validation rather than immediate commercial rollout.
Contact DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt eV) in Germany
Contact us to find licensing opportunities for high-density sulphur combustion technology.
