Solar energy to convert CO2 into fuel
13 Mar 2013
Edinburgh, UK – An international team of scientists, led by industry experts from Heriot-Watt University, have been granted £1.2 million to optimise a process that uses solar energy to convert CO2 into fuels, like methane and methanol.
With the photo-catalytic reduction process, any carbon produced when the fuel is used can then be converted into energy again. If fully commercialised, this “renewable looped system” could help offset up to 700 million tonnes of CO2 each year, the researchers estimate.
In particular, the project team aims to develop highly efficient photo-reactors, with conversion rates that can be scaled up to a commercial process.
Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer will lead the work in the UK, with the international team including engineers and chemists based in Taiwan, US, Canada and China.
“We are working on creating a technology that will turn … a climate-changing gas into a climate-saving fuel. We will have the input of leading industry players throughout this research, ensuring that the technology we develop can be used with existing infrastructure,” said Maroto-Valer.
The research team, with carbon capture and storage (CSS) representatives from E.ON and various energy industry experts, will help guide prototype development and ensure that it can be deployed and integrated with existing infrastructure.
“Industry will be working hand-in-hand with the international team of academics, making this a truly global project designed to deliver a globally significant breakthrough,” stated Dr Robin Irons from E.ON’s CSS team.
The funding is part of a select stream from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), designed to support research leaders tackling engineering challenges.
