SUNFUSION: Transforming Sunlight into Sustainable Fuel
SUNFUSION is a 4-year Horizon Europe project running from January 2025 to December 2028, involving 10 partners from 6 countries. SUNFUSION aims to develop a sustainable biofuel production process using microalgae and oleaginous yeasts, integrating innovative cultivation techniques, solar-powered hydrothermal liquefaction, and advanced biofuel upgrading, with a focus on energy efficiency and zero-waste principles.
Project Technical Objectives
Microalgae and yeasts cultivation and purification
Cultivation parameters to produce high lipid and low nitrogen content microalgal biomass; Reduction of production costs
Establishment of a dual lipid-rich biomass system with yeasts and microalgae
Kinetic model for HTL conversion of microalgae regarding the initial biochemical composition
Reactor model with fluid dynamic and chemical reactivity, solar heating
Biocrude production from microalgae and yeasts by continuous HTL
Membrane-based CO2 valorization for the post-HTL gaseous stream
Thermal Energy Storage
Design of a flexible and scalable thermal energy storage to be charged with parabolic trough collectors
A lab-scale prototype of the thermal energy storage system
Solar HTL continuous reactor
Design and construction of a lab-scale continuous solar HTL reactor
Continuous operation of HTL with solar heating optimization of the conversion process optimal conditions for conversion with desired temperature and residence time
Biocrude upgrading
Hydrotreatment (mild, deep) and further fractionation of HTL biocrude will be designed for kerosene and marine fuel product maximization
- Funding Program: Horizon Europe
- Call: HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-01
- GA No.: 10117294
- Type of action: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA)
- Duration: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2028
- EC Funding: 2,999,389.36 €
- Consortium: 10 partners from 6 countries
- Coordinator: The Centre for Research & Technology, CERTH