A team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, has developed a solar-powered reactor that pulls carbon dioxide directly from the air and converts it into sustainable fuel.

According to the University in a press release, the reactor works without the need for CO2 transport and storage, which makes it easier to scale up than earlier devices.

It works by taking CO2 from the air and converting it to syngas, which they state can be used in the production of chemicals. Furthermore, the solar syngas can be turned into liquid fuels to decarbonise transportation.

The reactor could be used in a decentralised way, explains the researchers, allowing users to generate green fuel without putting additional strain on the grid.

The researchers explain how the device works: “The device, a solar-powered flow reactor, uses specialised filters to grab CO2 from the air at night, like how a sponge soaks up water. When the sun comes out, the sunlight heats up the captured CO2, absorbing infrared radiation and a semiconductor powder absorbs the ultraviolet radiation to start a chemical reaction that converts the captured CO2 into solar syngas. A mirror on the reactor concentrates the sunlight, making the process more efficient.”

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Professor Erwin Reisner, who led the research stated in the release that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) could be used as an excuse to continue using fossil fuels and results in carbon being stored underground, rather than being used.

The sentiment was echoed by Dr Sayan Kar from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, who added: “What if instead of pumping the carbon dioxide underground, we made something useful from it? CO2 is a harmful greenhouse gas, but it can also be turned into useful chemicals without contributing to global warming.”

While the UK has emphasised the important role of CCS, plugging a significant amount of investment into its development, the researchers suggest it’s energy intensive and more studies are required to understand the risks associated with the process.

Kar continued: “If we made these devices at scale, they could solve two problems at once: removing CO2 from the atmosphere and creating a clean alternative to fossil fuels,” said Kar. “CO2 is seen as a harmful waste product, but it is also an opportunity.”

The researchers are currently building a larger scale version of the reactor with the aim to begin tests later this year and are working with Cambridge Enterprise to commercialise the technology.

It’s not only this group of researchers at Cambridge University that believe CCS might not live up to its promises. Lorenzo Sani, power and utilities analyst at independent financial think tank Carbon Tracker, shares this view which he bases on findings from a Carbon Tracker reports.

The report, Curb Your Enthusiasm: Bridging the gap between the UK’s CCUS targets and reality, shows the technology has shown little evidence of cost improvements and scalability.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Sani discusses the findings of the report in more detail, highlighting why the UK’s CCUS ambitions are not realistic and need to be reconsidered.