SOLAR-JET · Solar chemical reactor demonstration and Optimization for Long-term Availability of Renewable JET fuel

The aim of the SOLAR-JET project is to demonstrate a carbon-neutral path for producing aviation fuel, compatible with current infrastructure, in an economically viable way. The SOLAR-JET project will demonstrate on a laboratory-scale a process that combines concentrated sunlight with CO2 captured from air and H2O to produce kerosene by coupling a two-step solar thermochemical cycle based on non-stoichiometric ceria redox reactions with the Fischer-Tropsch process. This process provides a secure, sustainable and scalable supply of renewable aviation fuel, and early adoption will provide European aviation industries with a competitive advantage in the global market. The collaborators within SOLAR-JET combine all necessary competencies for the realization of project objectives, including: a unique high-flux solar simulator, a state-of-the-art computer simulation facility and software to significantly reduce the required number of experiments, and a Fischer-Tropsch unit for producing the first ever solar kerosene. These efforts are further complemented by assessments of the chemical suitability of the solar kerosene, identification of technological gaps, and determination of the technological and economical potentials. The outcomes of SOLAR-JET would propel Europe to the forefront in efforts to produce renewable, aviation fuels with a first-ever demonstration of kerosene produced directly from concentrated solar energy. The fuel is expected to overcome known sustainability and/or scalability limitations of coal/gas-to-liquid,bio-to-liquid and other drop-in biofuels while avoiding the inherent restrictions associated with other alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, that require major changes in aircraft design and infrastructure. The process demonstrated in SOLAR-JET eliminates logistical requirements associated with the biomass processing chain and results in much cleaner kerosene and represents a significant step forward in the production of renewable aviation fuels.