In Germany, Synhelion inaugurated what it claims to be the world’s first industrial-scale plant to produce synthetic fuels using solar heat in Jülich. The facility, dubbed DAWN features a 20-meter-high solar tower and a mirror field. The solar tower contains a solar receiver, a thermochemical reactor, and a thermal energy storage that enables cost-efficient solar fuel production, the company said. DAWN demonstrates the entire technology chain from concentrated sunlight to synthetic liquid fuel on an industrial scale for the first time, the firm added. DAWN will produce several thousand liters of fuel per year. Production is expected to start in 2024. On-site, the plant will produce synthetic crude oil, known as syncrude. This intermediate product is particularly suitable to be transported. The syncrude is then processed into certified fuels in a conventional oil refinery. Synhelion was founded in 2016 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich and has since established itself as a pioneer for solar fuels. Heike Birlenbach, Chief Commercial Officer of Swiss International Air Lines, said: “The large-scale use of sustainable aviation fuels is one of the most important measures to achieve the CO2 targets in aviation. The inauguration of DAWN marks a milestone in this process. As strategic partners of Synhelion, Lufthansa Group and SWISS as investor are proud to support the market introduction of solar fuels and congratulate Synhelion on this extraordinary achievement.”
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