Four Project Partners Combine Four Different Processes to Produce Fuel from Renewable Energy

The Power-to-X, or P2X, Kopernikus project is a four-way collaboration among four different institutions with the aim to produce synthetic fuel from renewable materials.  Their first facility to convert renewable energy to fuel is a containerized plant that could produce ten liters per day.  It is modular in design so a number of units can be installed in different locations, depending on where renewable energy is available.

Four processes from four different companies were employed in the process.  The parties involved are Climeworks, Ineratec, Sunfire, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, or KIT.  First, they used Climeworks' direct air capture technology that would capture carbon dioxide.  This is done with a filter, onto which the carbon dioxide from the air would attach on a chemical level.  This collected carbon dioxide detaches from the filter upon application of heat at 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Then, they used Sunfire's co-electrolysis technology to combine the collected concentrated carbon dioxide with steam, essentially producing hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide without the need for two separate processes as traditionally required.

After this, hydrocarbons were produced using Ineratec's Fischer-Tropsch reactor, which is microstructured increasing its surface area for heat and mass transfer then contributing not only to the efficiency of the process but also to its safety.

Finally, KIT researchers allowed the hydrocarbons to undergo hydrocracking, which then produced fuel.  KIT Professor and Hydrocarbons and Long-chain Alcohols research cluster coordinator, Roland Dittmeyer, clarified the necessity of their work.  "Worldwide, wind and sun supply a sufficient amount of energy, but not always at the right time," he said.  "Moreover, a few important transport sectors, such as air or heavy-duty traffic, will continue to need liquid fuels in the future, as they have a high energy density."

Late last month, the team has declared that the facility has been successful in producing its first few liters of synthetic fuel.  The team says that after this, the next step for them is to build another facility with an increased capacity of 200 liters per day and an efficiency of 60 percent.