The solar tower from the IMDEA Energy research center in Móstoles, Madrid: The mirror field concentrates sunlight on the top of the solar tower, where the solar heat generated is used to produce synthetic fuels. Image: Synhelion
The solar tower from the IMDEA Energy research center in Móstoles, Madrid: The mirror field concentrates sunlight on the top of the solar tower, where the solar heat generated is used to produce synthetic fuels. Image: Synhelion - Synhelion and Empa are conducting a joint research project, co-funded by the Swiss Innovation Agency Innosuisse, to further develop a high-temperature energy storage solution that is a key component in the production of climate-friendly solar fuels. The project will enable the cost-effective and scalable storage of high-temperature solar heat at over 1'000°C for the first time. The storage technology is expected to be used in Synhelion's first industrial-scale solar fuel production facility, which will be built in 2022. Synhelion produces sustainable fuels such as gasoline, diesel and kerosene that are compatible with conventional internal combustion engines and jet engines. In order to produce these synthetic fuels the ETH Zurich spin-off has developed a solar thermochemical process based on process heat generated from concentrated sunlight. To enable the chemical reactors for solar fuel production to operate around the clock, a cost-effective, high-temperature thermal energy storage (TES) is needed.
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