Challenges
Solar fuels, produced via solar driven CO2 and water conversion can contribute to drastically reducing GHG emissions and implement a man-made carbon-cycle complementing the natural-one, deploying the circular economy strategy. However, at present, significant improvement in the photocatalysts and reactor technology is required for solar fuels’ production to become technically feasible, scalable, affordable, secure, sustainable, and efficient. DESIRED is a high-risk high-return project, focused on establishing the technological feasibility and sustainability of a novel fuel production system – the DESIRED system – for direct coprocessing of, possibly atmospheric, CO2 and water to produce multi-carbon (C2+) energy-rich products using sunlight as primary energy source. The DESIRED system will produce C2+ solar fuels (without overlooking C1 species such as methanol or methane) by direct coprocessing of CO2 and water using novel and recyclable hybrid photo-electrocatalysts, supported on frustules or zeolites, in an innovative photoreactor design applying, for the first time, oscillatory flow principles, combined with direct light irradiation. With regards to applications, DESIRED will focus on products, which, by 2050, would be used per se or as intermediates to produce drop-in fuels for sectors where direct shift to batteries or H2 is not a technically and cost-efficient option (e.g., aviation). Knowledge of the economic affordability, environmental benefits, and social acceptability of this approach will be investigated. DESIRED promotes an interdisciplinary approach to research and innovation undertaken by a consortium of 7 European partners and complemented by cross-cutting activities including modelling, process simulation, sustainability, and techno-economic assessment as well as impactful dissemination, communication, capacity-building and exploitation activities that support the exchange of knowledge across and beyond the consortium and project.
Role in the Project
In DESIRED, eBOS will design and develop web-based interactive data visualisation dashboards, adaptable to the needs of the target audiences, graphically representing the environmental, economic, and social outcomes of the project and thus facilitating their wide dissemination.
Moreover, eBOS will manage the risk library, processes and procedures of the project for Risk Management and reporting to be performed by partners, covering both operational risks and the framework-level barriers/ risks. Proactive measures will be taken to mitigate risks. eBOS will also establish and implement Quality Assurance procedures, focusing on monitoring review activities built into the WPs and submitting quality reports annually. The quality plan, within the Project Management Handbook, specifies the quality procedures, internal and external peer reviews, control, monitoring and reporting activities.
Finally, eBOS as the Dissemination and Communication (D&C) activities and task leader, in close collaboration with the Charles University, will work across the scientific WPs to identify, develop, and publish agreed D&C materials to the identified target audiences in a timely manner. eBOS will also develop, implement, monitor, and update the Plan for Exploitation and Dissemination of Results.
Consortium
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
