Testing
How it works
The mirror field concentrates the sunlight to the solar receiver at the top of the tower. The concentrated sunlight heats up the heat transfer fluid (HTF) inside the solar receiver to 1’500°C. The gaseous HTF composed of CO2 and H2O circulates in a closed circuit and is an ideal carrier of the high-temperature solar process heat. The HTF is transported to the ground, where it drives the cement pyroprocessing. The carbon emissions from the chemical reaction (called calcination) mix with the HTF, ensuring that zero CO2 emissions are released into the atmosphere. The CO2 from calcination can be harvested easily from the closed circuit.
The solar cement plant also features a thermal energy storage (TES) that ensures uninterrupted operation around the clock, even when the sun is not shining.
Sun-to-Liquid technology
Synhelion uses solar heat to convert CO2 into synthetic fuels – so-called solar fuels. Solar radiation is reflected by the mirror field, concentrated onto the receiver, and converted into high-temperature process heat. The generated heat is fed to the thermochemical reactor that produces syngas, a mixture of H2 and CO. The syngas is then processed by standard gas-to-liquids technology into fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel. Excess heat is saved in the thermal energy storage (TES) to enable continuous 24/7 operation.
Our solar fuels are compatible with the existing global fuel infrastructure and reduce net carbon emissions by up to 100 percent.
