SOLEAS · Standalone solar-to-X device for prosumer-oriented conversion of sunlight to Ethene and Ammonia

Solar photoreactors to produce fuels and chemicals via photo-induced processes are researched widely, but currently (i) lack harmonised interaction of material and reactor optimization , (ii) are not easily scalable and (ii) may exceed sensible land areas for reasonable productivities , due to their rather low efficiencies in technical scale. In parallel, the reuse of biogenic CO2 from the biogas industry is among the most promising solutions to mitigate global climate warming while capturing nitrogen (N2) from the air – a readily available and abundant resource including 78 % of N2 – is a viable feedstock for producing ammonia (NH3).SOLEAS develops a standalone solar-to-X device, converting sunlight and simple, low-energy molecules (H2O, CO2 and N2) in a multi-product approach into chemicals usable as either energy source or building blocks for materials, precisely ethene (C2H4) and ammonia (NH3) which have interesting crossing value chains, by means of:(a)breakthrough concentrator optics and quantum-dots deposition for solar wavelength adjustment;(b)optimized solar receiving side (parallel reactor internals for multi-reaction integration, unbiased anode-cathode development, zero gap design with optimized fluid dynamics and in-situ product outtake.With its multi-product approach SOLEAS enables the realisation of several photo-reactions in one device enabling simplified production chains where one directly goes from simple feedstock to complex products, beyond hydrogen or carbon monoxide.The device will be able to operate independently, allowing, in the long-term, communities and remote areas to have access to reliable and sustainable energy sources and a local production and utilization of chemicals and fuels.The developed device will reach TRL 5-6 within a 4-year project runtime and is backed by a solid exploitation strategy and plan.