Solar-powered Device Captures Carbon Dioxide From Air to Make Sustainable Fuel
Published by Todd Bush on February 14, 2025
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a solar-powered reactor that pulls carbon dioxide directly from the air and converts it into sustainable fuel using sunlight.
The reactor, highlighted in Nature Energy, could produce fuel for cars, planes, and chemicals without relying on fossil fuels, CO2 transport, or storage. The device captures atmospheric CO2 and uses sunlight to create syngas, a key chemical intermediate.
>> In Other News: PX Group Wins ‘Landmark’ Teesside Biomass Contract
Professor Erwin Reisner, who led the research, said, “Aside from the expense and energy intensity, CCS provides an excuse to carry on burning fossil fuels. Our system makes something useful from CO2 without storing it underground.”
Dr. Sayan Kar, lead author, added, “CO2 is harmful, but we can turn it into useful chemicals without contributing to global warming.”
The device works like photosynthesis, using sunlight without external power. Specialized filters capture CO2 at night, which is then converted into syngas during the day using infrared and ultraviolet radiation.
The team is developing a larger version and aims to convert syngas into liquid fuels for vehicles and planes. If scaled up, the reactor could remove CO2 from the atmosphere and create clean fuel for remote locations.
Reisner’s research group focuses on devices that convert waste, water, and air into fuels. The project is supported by UKRI, the European Research Council, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Cambridge Trust.
Subscribe to the newsletter
Daily decarbonization data and news delivered to your inbox
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Latest issues
-
JPMorgan Just Paid to Bury Carbon. It Might Also Stop Wildfires.
Inside This Issue 🌿 Graphyte Announces 60,000 Ton Carbon Removal Agreement With JPMorganChase ✈️ Montana Renewables Signs Bold 70M-Gallon SAF Agreement ⚡ eFuels SEA Launches Platform to Develop eF...
-
This DAC Fix Just Made Carbon Removal 3x Cheaper
Inside This Issue ✈️ How Google Is Scaling SAF Demand Through Shell, Amex GBT 💸 Sora Fuel Closes $14.6M Round To Scale Air-To-Jet Fuel Technology 📊 CCUS Investment Tops $5 Billion, But The IEA Say...
-
Hydrogen Just Powered a 7.5-Tonne Plane. A World First.
Inside This Issue ✈️ Megawatt Hydrogen Turboprop Engine Completes Maiden Flight in Central China 🤝 XCF Global and Axens North America Announce Commercial Collaboration for Vegan(r) Technology 🔌 Ma...
Company Announcements
-
Graphyte Announces 60,000 Ton Carbon Removal Agreement With JPMorganChase
Deliveries aim to create economic opportunities in parts of rural America and reduce wildfire risks in the Western U.S. Graphyte, a leader in permanent carbon removal, today announced an agreement...
-
Vault 44.01 to Construct First CCS Project in Indiana With EPA Class VI Permit Approval
Vault 44.01 ("Vault"), a market leader in the development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects, today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 has issued...
-
SINGAPORE, April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- eFuels SEA, Ltd. today announced its launch as a new development platform dedicated to advancing electrofuel, also referred to as eFuel, projects throughou...
-
Chestnut Carbon Issues First U.S. IFM Carbon Credits With Verra's Removals Tag
Chestnut Carbon ("Chestnut"), a leading U.S. developer of nature-based carbon removal projects, today announced that its Improved Forest Management (IFM) project has been issued 95,909 new carbon c...