Press Kit

About Synhelion

Synhelion produces renewable solar fuels to defossilize the transportation sector. The cleantech company, rooted in ETH Zurich and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), has developed a scalable technology to produce synthetic drop-in fuels from solar energy. We produce solar jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline, which can directly replace fossil fuels. Our solar fuels are nearly CO2-neutral. They close the carbon cycle as they only emit as much CO2 as was used for their production. They are fully compatible with today’s global fuel infrastructure and conventional engines. No modifications are needed to storage facilities, distribution infrastructure, fuel systems, or engines. Therefore, our renewable solar fuels offer an economically viable, efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly solution for a clean transportation sector. Our fuels can reduce CO2 emissions in multiple transportation sectors; our current focus is on long-distance transportation and other applications that cannot be electrified.

Synhelion owns proven, patented, and scalable technologies for the production of renewable fuels. We have developed several proprietary thermochemical processes that use solar energy to produce sustainable fuels. We work with the power of the sun because it is one of the cheapest renewable energy sources. It is abundant and broadly distributed around the world. This allows the production of our solar fuels to be scaled worldwide, contributing to global energy security and independence from petroleum.

In June 2024, we inaugurated DAWN, the world’s first industrial plant for the production of solar fuel in Jülich, Germany. DAWN is fully operational and successfully produces solar jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline, which are being delivered to customers. With this plant, Synhelion demonstrates its solar fuel technology on an industrial scale, validating its readiness for large-scale deployment. The fuels from DAWN are used to demonstrate real-world applications across various transportation sectors.

We are now continuing to scale up our technology and developing commercial projects to accelerate the global production of solar fuels. Our goal is to significantly cut CO2 emissions in the transportation sector by replacing fossil fuels with renewable solar fuels. We are supported in this endeavor by international partners from various industry and transportation sectors, including Eni, Cemex, Lufthansa Group, Swiss International Air Lines, SMS group, Wood, AMAG Group, Zurich Airport, and Pilatus Aircraft.

We believe in a globalized world, where people enjoy the freedom to travel sustainably and cultivate personal and professional relationships. As liquid fuels continue to be needed for travel, transportation, and freight, we need to shift to sustainable, cleaner alternatives. Our solar fuels close the carbon cycle and drive a world connected by clean, sustainable transportation.

Find answers to frequently asked questions.

Find the German version here.

Synhelion at a glance

2016

Founding year

ETH Zurich and DLR

Origin

2

Countries

60

Employees

21

Patent families

CHF 90 M

Funding

1’500°C

Process heat

1’000’000 t

Annual fuel production by 2033

Press releases

    Images

    Synhelion’s industrial-scale solar fuel plant DAWN.

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    Synhelion’s industrial-scale solar fuel plant DAWN.

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    Aerial view of the mirror field of Synhelion’s industrial solar fuel plant DAWN.

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    Heliostat field of Synhelion’s industrial solar fuel plant DAWN.

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    Close-up of the heliostat field of Synhelion’s industrial solar fuel plant DAWN.

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    Storage and showroom for Synhelion’s solar synthetic crude oil.

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    Solar tower of plant DAWN and storage and showroom for Synhelion’s solar synthetic crude oil.

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    Close up of Synhelion's illuminated solar receiver
    Close-up of Synhelion’s proprietary solar receiver, which provides the necessary process heat to produce solar fuels.

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    Synhelion’s industrial-scale demonstration plant DAWN for the production of solar fuels.

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    Synhelion’s engineers in the heliostat field.

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    Synhelion’s industrial-scale solar fuel plant DAWN.

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    synhelion - solar tower and mirror field - process
    An overview of how plant DAWN produces solar fuels. English version.

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    An overview of how plant DAWN produces solar fuels. German version.

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    Video

    Video material in higher resolution and longer sequences available upon request. Contact: media@synhelion.com

    Videomaterial in höherer Auflösung sowie längere Sequenzen auf Anfrage erhältlich. Kontakt: media@synhelion.com

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    Synhelion image video

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    Take a tour of plant DAWN

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    Management

    Dr. Gianluca Ambrosetti
    CEO and Founder

    Synhelion - Gianluca Ambrosetti

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    PhD in Physics/Nanotechnology

    Gianluca obtained his PhD in Physics/Nanotechnology from EPFL Lausanne. He held various positions in the concentrated solar power and photovoltaics industry – among them he was Head of Research at Airlight Energy and Managing Director of Dsolar. His achievements include several patents and scientific publications, and he is the recipient of the EPFL Prix Prof. René Wasserman 2011. He co-founded Synhelion in 2016 and now holds the position of CEO, together with Philipp. Gianluca is a passionate jazz soprano saxophone player and performs regularly at concerts and jazz festivals.

    Dr. Philipp Furler
    CEO and Founder

    Synhelion - Philipp Furler

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    PhD in Mechanical Engineering/Solar Thermochemistry, EMBA

    Philipp holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich since 2014. In 2018, he completed his Executive MBA at the University of Strathclyde. Philipp has more than ten years of experience in high-temperature solar chemistry and reactor engineering. For several years, he served as Operating Agent – Solar Chemistry Research for the International Energy Agency’s technology program SolarPACES. Prior to joining Synhelion, Philipp co-founded the ETH spin-off company Sunredox, which was acquired by Synhelion in 2018. He now holds the position of CEO, together with Gianluca.

    Dr. Philipp Good
    Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

    Synhelion - Philipp Good

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    PhD in Mechanical Engineering/Solar Energy

    Philipp performed his PhD research in Mechanical Engineering at ETH Zurich in close collaboration with a concentrated solar power company. He joined Synhelion in 2017. Philipp has more than seven years of experience in the design, modelling, engineering, and experimental testing of high-temperature solar receivers and the optical alignment, characterization, and operation of solar concentrators. He is a passionate tennis player and participates in tournaments and team competitions.

    Thomas Syfrig
    Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

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    lic. oec. HSG, CFA, Advanced Federal Diploma Expert for Accounting and Controlling

    Thomas is a seasoned financial professional with a broad range of experience in Switzerland and abroad. With over two decades of financial expertise including positions as CFO, he significantly contributed to major transactions, including the sale of a large telecom company, and worked as a director at Credit Suisse in Zurich and New York. Before joining Synhelion, he served as the CFO of Bergbahnen Flumserberg and the publicly traded Poenina Holding until its merger with Burkhalter Group. He holds a Licentiate in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen as well as an Advanced Federal Diploma as Expert for Accounting and Controlling and is a CFA charterholder. He loves spending time in the mountains. Alternatively, he enjoys water activities, both below and above the surface.

    Patrick Hilger
    Managing Director Synhelion Germany

    Synhelion - Patrick Hilger

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    MSc in Energy Engineering

    Patrick graduated with a Master of Science in Energy Engineering from RWTH Aachen University. He worked as a project engineer for the research institutions Solar Institute Jülich (SIJ) and German Aerospace Center (DLR) in the field of heliostat development and played a key role in the design and construction of Synlight, the largest artificial sun in the world. Together with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Hoffschmidt, he founded Heliokon GmbH in 2016, which has been part of Synhelion as Synhelion Germany GmbH since 2021.

    Simon Dieckmann
    Managing Director Synhelion Germany

    Synhelion - Simon Dieckmann

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    Dipl.-Ing. Mechanical Engineering + Dipl.-Ing. Engineering & Business

    Simon holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering with focus on aerospace technology and a degree in Engineering & Business from RWTH Aachen University. Before joining Synhelion in 2019, he worked for several years as a research engineer at the German Aerospace Center, where he gained extensive experience in the techno-economic assessment of renewable energy technologies and CSP-related software development.

    Measurements

    Minimum spacing
    w = 40 mm
    h = 9,5 mm

    Protected space around logo
    3× (increases proportionally)