The article German start-up produces hydrogen and e-fuels directly from the air first appeared in the online magazine BASIC thinking. With our newsletter UPDATE you can start the day well informed every morning.
A start-up from Essen has put a plant into operation in Duisburg that produces climate-friendly e-fuels and hydrogen from air and solar power. To do this, CO2 from the environment and water are processed in the same system. In the future, the technology will offer a cheap and clean alternative to conventional fuels.
Hydrogen is a central component of the federal government’s climate goals. The “National Hydrogen Strategy” stipulates that hydrogen electrolysers will be in place in Germany by 2030 with an output of 5 gigawatts should be installed.
Hydrogen could be crucial for achieving climate goals because it can be used in a variety of ways and does not emit any CO2 when used. Hydrogen can help reduce emissions, particularly in areas that currently rely heavily on fossil fuels.
At the same time, hydrogen makes it possible to store renewable electricity and thus compensate for fluctuations in wind and solar. According to forecasts The demand for green hydrogen will therefore increase to a total of 598 million tonnes by 2050.
Researchers around the world are therefore working on technologies with which green hydrogen can be produced efficiently and in a climate-friendly manner. One of these has now started in Duisburg. This is where the Essen start-up Greenlyte Carbon Technologies has its First e-fuel factory openedwhich can create green hydrogen from ambient air.
In Duisburg, hydrogen and e-fuels are produced directly from the air
The start-up from Essen has put its LiquidSolar system into operation. According to the company, this is the first plant in the world that can produce hydrogen and e-fuels directly from ambient air.
The company combines two processes in the LiquidSolar platform. On the one hand, the Direct Air Capture (DAC) process takes place here, in which carbon dioxide is filtered directly from the ambient air.
The air is passed over chemical substances to bind CO2. The gas is then released again, cleaned and can be stored or further processed.
With Greenlyte, the CO2 is dissolved in a special liquid, creating a highly concentrated salt. This then serves as an electrolyte for the second process, which takes place simultaneously in the LiquidSolar platform.
Here, water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolytic splitting with the help of the self-generated electrolyte. Both processes run in parallel and with green electricity generated directly at the system.
The system is intended to filter 40 tons of CO2 annually
During these parallel processes, the plant creates a synthesis gas from CO2 and hydrogen. In a further step, synthetic natural gas is created, which can then be converted into e-fuels, e-methanol or e-kerosene as required.
The plant now in operation in Duisburg can filter 40 tons of CO2 from the air every year and thus produce five tons of synthetic natural gas. According to its own information, the start-up had previously tested the process in the pilot phase for more than 13,000 operating hours. The aim now is to prove that the technology is ready for the market.
The company wants to enter international markets by 2030. By 2050, 100 million tons of CO2 should be captured annually.
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As a Tech Industry expert, I find the concept of a German start-up producing hydrogen and e-fuels directly from the air to be incredibly innovative and exciting. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about sustainable energy production and could play a key role in helping to combat climate change.
By harnessing the power of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, this start-up is able to extract hydrogen and e-fuels from the air, offering a clean and efficient alternative to traditional fossil fuels. This could have a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning towards a more sustainable energy future.
I believe that this technology has the potential to disrupt the energy industry and pave the way for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy system. It will be interesting to see how this start-up continues to develop and scale their technology, and how it may be adopted on a larger scale in the future. Overall, I am optimistic about the potential of this innovation and look forward to seeing its impact on the energy industry.
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