Power-to-Liquids Process

In the first step, electrical energy is generated from renewable sources such as wind or solar power. This energy serves as the basis for the subsequent processes and is crucial to making the entire Power-to-Liquids (PtL) process and the end product - green kerosene - climate-friendly.

The electrical energy is used in an electrolysis process to produce hydrogen (H₂) by splitting water (H₂O). This hydrogen is required in the following process steps.

The carbon dioxide (CO₂) required for PtL production is extracted from the ambient air using direct air capture technologies. Alternatively, CO₂ can be separated from industrial processes or natural sources such as biogenic waste. The CO₂ is later processed with the hydrogen into synthetic fuels.

The reverse water-gas shift reaction is a key chemical step in the PtL process. Hydrogen (H₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) react in a special reactor and produce carbon monoxide (CO) and water vapour (H₂O). The aim of this reaction is to produce Synthesis Gas (mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and Hydrogen (H₂)), which is the starting material for fuel production in the next step.

In the Liquid Fuel reactor, hydrogen (H₂) from the previous steps together with carbon monoxide (CO) are converted into liquid fuels. In a special chemical reactor, hydrocarbons are produced using the Fischer-Tropsch process, which serve as base materials for fuels such as petrol or kerosene.

This is where CARE-O-SENE's research work comes into play: the chemical process that takes place between hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO) is accelerated with the help of catalysts. CARE-O-SENE develops and optimises these catalysts in order to make the entire PtL process and thus the production of synthetic fuels more efficient.

The result of this process is a synthetic fuel that works like conventional aircraft fuel (kerosene) and can be used directly in existing aircraft, but is more climate-friendly. This is because the hydrogen required comes from renewable energy sources and the carbon dioxide is captured from the air, recycled from industrial (secondary use) processes or obtained from biogenic sources.

The synthetic fuel produced (kerosene) is ultimately used in air traffic. This fuel is more climate-friendly as it is produced using renewable energies and CO₂ (e.g. through direct air capture). This means that no additional CO₂-emissions are produced and the CO₂-cycle is closed.