Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DESIRED (Direct co-processing of CO2 and water to sustainable multicarbon energy products in novel photocatalytic reactor )
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-11-01 al 2024-04-30
Solar fuels, produced via solar-driven CO2 and water conversion can contribute to drastically reducing GHG emissions and implement a man-made carbon cycle complementing the natural one, deploying the circular economy strategy. However, at present, significant improvement in the photocatalysts and reactor technology is required for solar fuels’ production to become technically feasible, scalable, affordable, secure, sustainable, and efficient. DESIRED is a high-risk high-return project, focused on establishing the technological feasibility and sustainability of a novel fuel production system – the DESIRED system – for direct coprocessing of, possibly atmospheric, CO2 and water to produce multi-carbon (C2+) energy-rich products using sunlight as primary energy source. The DESIRED system will produce C2+ solar fuels (without overlooking C1 species such as methanol or methane) by direct coprocessing of CO2 and water using novel and recyclable hybrid photo-electrocatalysts, supported on frustules or zeolites, in an innovative photoreactor design applying, for the first time, oscillatory flow principles, combined with direct light irradiation. With regards to applications, DESIRED will focus on products, which, by 2050, would be used per se or as intermediates to produce drop-in fuels for sectors where direct shift to batteries or H2 is not a technically and costefficient option (e.g. aviation). Knowledge of the economic affordability, environmental benefits, and social acceptability of this approach will be investigated. DESIRED promotes an interdisciplinary approach to research and innovation undertaken by a consortium of 7 European partners and complemented by cross-cutting activities including modelling, process simulation, sustainability, and techno-economic assessment as well as impactful dissemination, communication, capacity-building and exploitation activities that support the exchange of knowledge across and beyond the consortium and project.
The DESIRED overall project objective is, by leveraging innovative technical solutions, to disruptively prove the technological feasibility of a novel fuel production system – the DESIRED fuel production system – producing multicarbon products (C2+ solar fuels) (without overlooking C1 species such as methanol or methane) by direct CO2 and water coprocessing using novel and recyclable hybrid photo-electrocatalysts, supported on frustules or zeolites, in an innovative photoreactor design, applying, for the first time, oscillatory flow principles, combined with direct light irradiation. In addition, DESIRED will also assess the economic affordability, environmental benefits, and social acceptability of this approach and the resulting DESIRED fuel production.
Over the first reporting period, the DESIRED project has made reasonable progress towards realising its objectives. The main progress is substantiated by:
- Production of frustules and zeolite materials capable of acting as support for photo electrocatalysts, with attention paid to the overall lifecycle assessment of these materials and their suitability for PC and PEC experiments.
- Production of the first series of novel and recyclable hybrid photo-electrocatalysts, whose initial tests have produced promising results with regards to their capacity to drive the production of multicarbon products (C2+ solar fuels) as well as C1 species such as methanol or methane, by direct CO2 and water coprocessing.
- Design and engineering and ongoing testing of the first Level 1.0 (15 mL) novel DESIRED photoreactor, which, for the first time, applies oscillatory flow principles, combined with direct light irradiation, and constitutes the main targeted innovation of the project.
- Planning of the validation activities of the project.
- Start the sustainability assessment activities by establishing reference scenarios and a scheme for experimental data collection.
- Launch of multidimensional dissemination, communication and outreach activities which support the impact-creation mechanisms of the project.
Over the first reporting period, the DESIRED project has made reasonable progress towards realising its objectives. The main progress is substantiated by:
- Production of frustules and zeolite materials capable of acting as support for photo electrocatalysts, with attention paid to the overall lifecycle assessment of these materials and their suitability for PC and PEC experiments.
- Production of the first series of novel and recyclable hybrid photo-electrocatalysts, whose initial tests have produced promising results with regards to their capacity to drive the production of multicarbon products (C2+ solar fuels) as well as C1 species such as methanol or methane, by direct CO2 and water coprocessing.
- Design and engineering and ongoing testing of the first Level 1.0 (15 mL) novel DESIRED photoreactor, which, for the first time, applies oscillatory flow principles, combined with direct light irradiation, and constitutes the main targeted innovation of the project.
- Planning of the validation activities of the project.
- Start the sustainability assessment activities by establishing reference scenarios and a scheme for experimental data collection.
- Launch of multidimensional dissemination, communication and outreach activities which support the impact-creation mechanisms of the project.
DESIRED targets the formation of multitask C2+ species with potential applications as per se in the chemical and (preferentially) energy industry or as raw materials for drop-in fuels. The long-term goal is to substitute fossil-C by recycling carbon, implementing the C-Circular Economy (CCE) strategy.
The main results of DESIRED beyond the state-of-the-art during the first reporting period includes:
- The development of new photo-materials. Their anchorage to cooperative bio- or synthetic supports has also been the focus of technical developments.
- The engineering and construction of the new concept photoreactor “Level 1.0" with 15 mL capacity.
Further, the DESIRED engineering, simulation, testing, validation and modelling activities, are well-documented and methodologically constructed to achieve proof of the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed solar production system, which is designed to be a flexible, scalable, and multifuel system.
DESIRED already triggers R&D for addressing open questions in catalyst design and development, and in reactor- and collector-design and engineering:
- The development of novel complex materials exhibiting strongly enhanced photoactive properties and selectivity has started to generate new, seminal knowledge on CO2RR;
- The new-concept reactor, generates new knowledge on novel biorefining concepts applied to CO2RR.
In the next reporting periods, work will address the integration of the photo-materials into a reactor with a larger capacity (ca. 0.5 L) and its coupling to a solar collector, to yield energy products, using either pure photo-chemial reactions or photo-electrocatalytic applications.
During the first reporting period, strong foundations to achieve this integration have been undertaken. Promisingly, the project has already managed to strengthen the links between basic research and pre-industrial and commercial capacities to achieve scalable CO2 photo-conversion for meeting energy demands in the form of C2+ products or methanol. The partners from both the academic and industrial sectors have come together to achieve TLR 3-4 validation and combine technologies.
These collaborations that are now well established on relations of trust between the partners, will be crucial in the future to make the DESIRED fuel production system a breakthrough and game-changing technology with a high potential for accelerating the transition to a net-zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions EU economy by 2050.
The consortium understands the project may well result in the development of a novel commercial product with a high market potential. Accordingly, partners have started preparing for the proper exploitation of the IP stemming from the project.
In terms of impact, the concept and project activities are framed as having wide-ranging environmental and societal implications for human health and wellbeing and on the sustainable exploitation of energy resources, in addition to enhancing the competitiveness of the EU industry in a global context.
The main results of DESIRED beyond the state-of-the-art during the first reporting period includes:
- The development of new photo-materials. Their anchorage to cooperative bio- or synthetic supports has also been the focus of technical developments.
- The engineering and construction of the new concept photoreactor “Level 1.0" with 15 mL capacity.
Further, the DESIRED engineering, simulation, testing, validation and modelling activities, are well-documented and methodologically constructed to achieve proof of the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed solar production system, which is designed to be a flexible, scalable, and multifuel system.
DESIRED already triggers R&D for addressing open questions in catalyst design and development, and in reactor- and collector-design and engineering:
- The development of novel complex materials exhibiting strongly enhanced photoactive properties and selectivity has started to generate new, seminal knowledge on CO2RR;
- The new-concept reactor, generates new knowledge on novel biorefining concepts applied to CO2RR.
In the next reporting periods, work will address the integration of the photo-materials into a reactor with a larger capacity (ca. 0.5 L) and its coupling to a solar collector, to yield energy products, using either pure photo-chemial reactions or photo-electrocatalytic applications.
During the first reporting period, strong foundations to achieve this integration have been undertaken. Promisingly, the project has already managed to strengthen the links between basic research and pre-industrial and commercial capacities to achieve scalable CO2 photo-conversion for meeting energy demands in the form of C2+ products or methanol. The partners from both the academic and industrial sectors have come together to achieve TLR 3-4 validation and combine technologies.
These collaborations that are now well established on relations of trust between the partners, will be crucial in the future to make the DESIRED fuel production system a breakthrough and game-changing technology with a high potential for accelerating the transition to a net-zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions EU economy by 2050.
The consortium understands the project may well result in the development of a novel commercial product with a high market potential. Accordingly, partners have started preparing for the proper exploitation of the IP stemming from the project.
In terms of impact, the concept and project activities are framed as having wide-ranging environmental and societal implications for human health and wellbeing and on the sustainable exploitation of energy resources, in addition to enhancing the competitiveness of the EU industry in a global context.