LICROX – Converting sunlight to sustainable fuels

By mimicking the natural process of photosynthesis, researchers are converting sunlight into the carbon-neutral fuel of tomorrow.
The sustainable transition requires massive systemic change. While renewable energy sources increasingly provide electricity to the global society, fuels for transportation, heating, and industrial processes are still dominated by fossil fuels. While these sectors may partly be electrified, fuel will be necessary in the sustainable transition; we need to be able to store sustainably produced energy. This is where LICROX comes into the picture. Plants store solar energy every day through the natural process of photosynthesis. In LICROX, a team of field-leading researchers is mimicking this very process to achieve artificial photosynthesis. Through the development of a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC), the abundant resources of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide may be converted into ethylene. In other words, LICROX researchers are at the forefront of synthesizing solar fuels sustainably and efficiently. The future production of sustainable fuels is a great concern for stakeholders and citizens alike. For this reason, the DBT aims to explore and advice future courses of actions for the LICROX technology. By discussing the technology and its potential trajectories with stakeholders and citizens, the DBT expects to pull LICROX in a politically and commercially sustainable direction. In this way, the fuels of tomorrow may be produced in a way that is beneficial for both humans and, importantly, our environment.
Read more about the project: LICROX – LICROX