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
-
Shell, Equinor, Totalenergies to Invest $714 Million in Carbon Storage Expansion
Inside This Issue 💰 Shell, Equinor, Totalenergies to Invest $714 Million in Carbon Storage Expansion 🚢 AiPs Obtained for Liquefied CO₂ Carrier Design and Floating Liquefied Storage Facility 🌱 Stoc...
-
Gautam Swami's Global Journey in Low-Carbon Energy and Finance
Inside This Issue 🌍 Innovating the Future: Gautam Swami's Global Journey in Low-carbon Energy and Finance 🌊 Captura Announces Sale of Carbon Removal Credits and Strategic Partnership With Mitsui O...
-
Verdagy Taps Black & Veatch for Texas Clean Hydrogen Plant Design
Inside This Issue 🏭 Verdagy Selects Black & Veatch for a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Study for Its 9,000 tons/year (60-megawatt) Clean Hydrogen Plant in Texas USA - English USA 🌊 Ocean...
Company Announcements
-
Shell, Equinor, Totalenergies to Invest $714 Million in Carbon Storage Expansion
OSLO, March 27 (Reuters) – Shell, Equinor, and TotalEnergies said on Thursday they will invest 7.5 billion Norwegian crowns ($713.66 million) into expanding their flagship carbon storage project in...
-
AiPs Obtained for Liquefied CO₂ Carrier Design and Floating Liquefied Storage Facility
Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers AS (KNCC), a subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Knutsen Group, has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the design of liquified CO₂ c...
-
Trump Administration Tells Oil and Biofuels Groups to Hash Out New Biofuel Policy
Trump administration asks Big Oil and Farm Belt to come to a consensus on biofuel policy Two meetings held so far, with consensus to seek higher biomass-based diesel volumes Other key issues...
-
Nel ASA: Receives Purchase Order From Collins Aerospace for U.S. Navy Stacks
OSLO, Norway, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nel Hydrogen US, a subsidiary of Nel ASA (Nel, OSE:NEL), has received a purchase order for PEM electrolyser stacks for about USD 6 million from Collins ...