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
-
DOE Floats New Cuts To Hundreds Of Clean Energy Grants
Inside This Issue ⚡ DOE Floats New Cuts To Hundreds Of Clean Energy Grants ⛏️ HyTerra Limited Announces Positive Results From McCoy 1 Well 🍁 As Policy Changed, CarbonCapture Moved Its Pilot Projec...
-
From Louisiana to Europe: Certified Low-Carbon Ammonia on the Move
Inside This Issue 🚢 CF Industries, Trafigura, and Envalior Announce Shipment of Certified Low-Carbon Ammonia 🥤 Skytree Validates DAC System to Generate Pure, Beverage-Grade Liquid CO₂ On-Site 💻 Su...
-
What 43 CCS Projects and $3.5B Mean for U.S. Decarbonization
Inside This Issue 💰 Louisiana's $3.5B Carbon Capture Surge Sets National Decarbonization Blueprint 🌍 UN Climate Summit To Feature First-Ever Carbon Removal Pavilion At COP30 🚛 AtmosClear Selects E...
Company Announcements
-
Facility will bring an estimated $500 million investment to the region WINNIPEG, MB, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Deep Sky, the world's first tech-agnostic carbon removal project developer, has se...
-
Policy Reversals In The US Will Only Have A Marginal Impact On The Global Energy Transition – Report
08 October 2025, Høvik, Norway – The global shift towards cleaner energy remains robust even though the pace of the energy transition in the United States has slowed sharply due to recent policy re...
-
Brossard, Quebec, October 9, 2025 – Charbone Hydrogen Corporation (TSXV: CH; OTCQB: CHHYF; FSE: K47) ("CHARBONE" or the "Company"), a company dedicated to building North America’s first clean Ultra...
-
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 9, 2025) - Q Precious & Battery Metals Corp. (CSE: QMET) (OTC Pink: BTKRF) (FSE: 0NB) ("QMET" or the "Company") is pleased to announce tha...