Synhelion has opened the world’s first industrial plant in Germany that uses solar heat to produce greener fuels for transportation, including for planes, ships, cars, and even low-carbon cement. Known as DAWN, the plant is set to begin operations later this year and aims to produce several thousand liters of fuel annually. Synhelion’s ambitious plans include building a larger plant in Spain in 2025 and ramping up production to 1,000 t/y, with the goal of manufacturing 1m t/y within a decade. The company aims to produce fuels at around US$1/litre by 2033. Partners like Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines are already involved in the project, highlighting the potential of renewable synthetic fuels in reducing CO2 emissions. Synhelion’s innovative technology, developed by a spin-off from ETH Zurich, involves using AI-based methods with drones to calibrate mirrors for efficiently reflecting solar energy onto a receiver, ultimately creating syngas for fuel production. The company’s groundbreaking approach to turning carbon dioxide and water back into fuel is a historic development in sustainable transportation and a significant step towards achieving climate targets in the transportation sector.
https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/producing-fuels-from-1-500-degrees-of-solar-heat-world-s-first-plant-opens-in-germany/