Solar-to-X Portfolio
Devices for the decentralized production and consumption of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials as climate change mitigation pathway.
About us
We develop devices that convert solar energy and abundantly available molecules (such as water or carbon oxides) into liquids and gases – within a single device. These so-called solar-to-X technologies avoid the beforehand conversion of solar energy into electricity and reduce the complexity of the process. Solar-to-X technologies, also called artificial photosynthesis or solar fuel technologies, support the vision of a decentralized, local energy and production system with a local provision of the required resources. In this vision, communities become not only prosumers of electricity, but also of fuels, chemicals and materials.
Solar-to-X technologies—often called artificial photosynthesis or solar fuel technologies—represent a paradigm shift in how we produce essential resources. By integrating the following three pillars, these projects aim to transform communities from passive consumers into active "prosumers".
Solar-to-X: Empowering Local Production through Artificial Photosynthesis
We develop standalone devices that convert solar energy directly into liquids and gases within a single unit. This approach avoids the intermediate step of converting solar energy into electricity, significantly reducing process complexity and increasing overall efficiency.
Direct Energy Conversion
These devices utilize "abundantly available molecules," such as water and carbon oxides (CO2), as their primary inputs. By transforming these basic building blocks into high-value products, the technology supports a circular economy and reduces reliance on fossil-based raw materials.
Sustainable Feedstocks
Solar-to-X supports a vision of decentralized, local production systems where resources are provided on-site. In this future, communities are empowered to become "prosumers" not only of electricity but also of the fuels, chemicals, and materials required for daily life.
Decentralised Production
By combining these elements, the EIC Solar-to-X Portfolio is creating a path toward a self-sufficient and carbon-neutral society.
Our Projects
This project develops a multiscale theoretical framework and general-purpose software to simulate photocatalytic processes from the atomic level to full devices. By integrating modelling approaches ranging from Quantum Mechanics and Rate Theory, to Kinetic Monte Carlo and eventually Fluid Dynamics, it aims to guide the design of efficient systems for reducing CO2 into hydrocarbons and alcohols.
SUNPEROM is creating a single, monolithic tandem device that captures atmospheric CO2 and uses the full solar spectrum to produce methanol. The technology integrates perovskite cells with NIR photocatalysts and multifunctional gas diffusion layers to operate efficiently at standard atmospheric temperature and pressure.
This project focuses on producing bio-isoprene through engineered photosynthetic cell factories, based on cyanobacteria. By implementing a more efficient CO2 fixation route and synthetic organelles, it optimizes enzymatic reactions for high-productivity and enables direct harvesting of volatile products from the gas phase.
SUN2CN develops a standalone solar-to-X device designed to convert CO2 and nitrate from waste streams into carbon-nitrogen (C-N) chemicals like urea and methylamine. It utilizes an innovative flow cell and integrated PV-electrocatalyst membranes to support a decentralized, circular economy for remote communities.
This project aims to convert air, water, and sunlight into ammonium nitrate fertilizer specifically for the horticulture sector. Using luminescent solar concentrators and new photocatalysts within a flow photoreactor, it facilitates nitrogen reduction and oxidation reactions to enable sustainable, on-site fertilizer production in greenhouses.
SOLARSPOON produces food components, such as proteins and lipids, directly from solar energy, water, and air. It integrates electrochemistry with regenerative biological catalysts, like microorganisms and enzymes, in a flow design to provide a distributed method for food production that avoids traditional farming.
This project combines nanotechnology and synthetic biology to improve light-harvesting and CO2 fixation in microalgae for sustainable biofuel production. It uses nanocrystal solar foils and engineered metabolic pathways to significantly enhance solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency, targeting the aviation and maritime sectors.
FAQs
Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe grant 101223328 (PHOTONIA). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Any questions about Solar-to-X?