World’s first industrial-scale solar fuel plant

About DAWN

DAWN is the world’s first industrial-scale solar fuel plant, integrating all of Synhelion’s innovations for solar fuel production. With this plant, Synhelion demonstrates its technologies on an industrial scale, validating its readiness for large-scale deployment.

Located in Jülich, Germany, DAWN is fully operational and produces several thousand liters of solar fuel per year. The fuels from DAWN are used to demonstrate real-world applications across various transportation sectors.

Main specifications

Status
Plant DAWN is operational and producing fuels

Products
Solar jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline

Customers
Swiss International Air Lines and other key customers

Location
Brainergy Park Jülich, Germany

Financing
Financed by Synhelion +
EUR 3.92 M from BMWK

From DAWN to reality: solar fuels in action

Together with our partners, we use the fuels of DAWN in real-world applications across multiple transportation sectors. Stay tuned for more updates to come.

Synhelion delivers SAF to SWISS

SWISS has become the first airline in the world to integrate the solar fuel manufactured by Synhelion into its flight operations. The action marks a milestone for both partners on the journey to more sustainable aviation. Alternative fuels such as Synhelion’s solar fuel are crucial to the industry’s endeavors to achieve its ambitious carbon reduction objectives.

First car ride powered by solar gasoline

Synhelion has fueled a car with solar gasoline for the first time ever – a global first for road transportation. The 1985 Audi Sport quattro, part of the AMAG Classic car collection, became the first vehicle in history to run on solar gasoline produced at Synhelion’s industrial-scale plant DAWN in Jülich, Germany.

Historic steamboat fueled with solar diesel from plant DAWN

Solar fuel hits the water. For the first time ever, Synhelion has fueled a ship with its renewable solar diesel produced at plant DAWN. An over 110-year-old steamboat was symbolically fueled with Synhelion’s first barrel of solar diesel. A milestone for more sustainable mobility on the water.

First motorcycle ride powered by solar gasoline

Solar fuel hits the road. For the first time ever, Synhelion has fueled a vehicle with its renewable solar fuel – a historic step toward net-zero. And it wasn’t just any vehicle: Professor Aldo Steinfeld, the visionary behind the technology, rode his Harley-Davidson powered by Synhelion’s solar gasoline from plant DAWN.

How DAWN produces fuel

Solar energy is converted into high-temperature process heat beyond 1’200°C. At DAWN, this solar heat is generated either by renewable solar power from a PV field through an electric heater, or by heliostats that direct the solar radiation onto a solar receiver.

Part of the generated solar heat is fed into the thermochemical reactor that produces syngas, a mixture of H₂ and CO. The syngas is then processed into fuels, such as jet fuel, gasoline, or diesel, using standard gas-to-liquid technology. The other part of the heat is saved in the thermal energy storage to enable continuous 24/7 operation.

Updates of plant DAWN

Plant DAWN exceeds expectations

April 2025 | Plant DAWN has been producing fuel since late summer 2024. Just a few months after commissioning, DAWN is operating close to nameplate capacity. Industrial-scale solar fuel production at DAWN has proven and de-risked our technology and demonstrated that the technology and the company are ready for commercial fuel production.

Three Synhelion solar fuel barrels at plant DAWN in Jülich, Germany.

Plant DAWN produces fuel

September 2024 | Synhelion has reached a crucial milestone in the commissioning of DAWN. Plant DAWN is operational and has successfully produced synthetic crude oil, achieving the plant’s primary goal of producing renewable solar fuel. The syncrude can be refined in existing refineries into solar kerosene, diesel, and gasoline.

Inauguration of plant DAWN

June 2024 | Synhelion inaugurated DAWN, the world’s first industrial-scale plant to produce synthetic fuels using solar heat. By inaugurating DAWN, Synhelion proves that the technology to produce solar fuels is ready for large scaling. The renewable fuels will demonstrate the technology’s potential to defossilize the transportation sector.