Synhelion Launches World’s First Industrial-Scale Solar-to-Jet Fuel Plant in Germany

Swiss solar fuels pioneer Synhelion has officially launched what it claims to be the world’s first industrial-scale plant for producing synthetic fuels from solar heat. The facility, named DAWN, is situated in Jülich, a region in central-west Germany, and is set to manufacture sustainable aviation fuel as well as non-fossil products for road and marine transportation. This innovative plant will convert reflected solar radiation into high-temperature process heat, which will then generate synthetic gas, or syngas, that is ultimately transformed into liquid fuel.

DAWN is projected to produce several thousand liters of renewable transportation fuel annually, primarily for demonstration purposes. Construction of a commercial-scale plant in Spain is slated to begin in 2025, with plans to produce approximately 1,000 tonnes of fuel each year. Synhelion envisions expanding this initiative to include additional plants, aiming for a total production capacity of one million tonnes of solar fuel within the next decade.

“The inauguration of DAWN signifies the dawn of solar fuels, marking a pivotal moment for sustainable transportation,” stated Dr. Philipp Furler, co-founder and CEO of Synhelion. “Our foundational vision of generating renewable fuels from solar energy is now becoming a reality.”

A prominent feature of the Synhelion facility is a 20-meter-high tower that houses a solar receiver, a thermochemical reactor, and thermal energy storage. Surrounding this tower is a field of mirrors, known as heliostats, which reflect sunlight onto the solar receiver, converting the radiation into high-temperature process heat. This heat is then directed into the reactor to produce syngas from hydrogen and carbon. Utilizing standard gas-to-liquids technology, the syngas is transformed into alternative jet fuel, gasoline, or diesel, while excess heat is stored in the thermal energy chamber to ensure continuous fuel production.

Founded in 2016 as a commercial spin-off from ETH Zurich, Synhelion demonstrated its solar heat production capability in 2019 through a mini refinery on the university’s roof. The company has since focused on scaling its sun-to-liquid technology to an industrial level.

DAWN was developed with support from various investors and international partners, including Lufthansa Group, Swiss International Air Lines, Zurich Airport, Pilatus Aircraft, Italy’s Eni energy company, Switzerland’s AMAG Group, global construction and materials company Cemex, SMS Group, and Wood. Funding also came from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection’s Energy Research Programme.

In the first half of this year, Synhelion achieved several key milestones, starting in February with the completion of its solar tower, designed to minimize shadowing on the mirror field. The Fischer-Tropsch conversion unit was delivered in March to facilitate the transformation of syngas into renewable fuel, followed by the installation of critical components in May. Finally, in June, the mirror field was set up to direct solar rays into the tower.

DAWN will produce synthetic crude oil, or syncrude, which will then be transported to a conventional refinery for processing into certified fuels. The upcoming plant in Spain aims to produce around 1,000 tonnes of fuel annually, while Synhelion asserts that future facilities will significantly exceed the production capacity of the first two.

“Solar fuels can directly replace fossil fuels,” Synhelion explained, “and are entirely compatible with existing global fuel infrastructure, from storage and transportation to internal combustion engines and aircraft engines.”

Hartmut Höppner, State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, emphasized that achieving climate targets in the transport sector relies on alternatives to fossil fuels. “The potential of renewable synthetic fuels is enormous,” he remarked. “The launch of the first plant for solar fuel production in Germany is a clear indication of how technological innovation can help reduce CO2 emissions.”

Heike Birlenbach, CCO of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), acknowledged that large-scale adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the most critical measures to reduce aviation’s carbon emissions. “The inauguration of DAWN represents a significant milestone in this journey,” she added. “As strategic partners of Synhelion, both Lufthansa Group and SWISS take pride in supporting the market introduction of solar fuels and commend Synhelion for this remarkable achievement.”

In 2022, Synhelion secured CHF 22 million ($24 million) from existing and new strategic investors, including SWISS, which facilitated the construction of DAWN. Additionally, a project with the University of Florida aimed at developing large-scale production of green hydrogen from solar energy was awarded $2.7 million in funding by the US Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. This initiative seeks to utilize concentrating solar power (CSP) infrastructure and solar heat to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.