SUNFUSION Consortium Meets in Ankara for its 21-Month Meeting and Project Review
The SUNFUSION consortium gathered in Ankara, Türkiye, on 9–10 September 2026 for its 21-month consortium meeting and project review. Hosted by Middle East Technical University (METU) at the METU Research Center, the two-day meeting brought project partners together to review progress, discuss achievements and challenges, and coordinate the next steps in the project’s implementation.
The first day, held on 9 September, was dedicated to internal project alignment and preparation for the review meeting. Following an overall project overview led by CERTH, partners presented progress across the different SUNFUSION work packages, covering process modelling and sustainability assessment, sustainable biomass production, hydrothermal liquefaction, thermal energy storage, CSP integration, and dissemination, exploitation and communication activities.
The discussions provided an opportunity to assess progress across the project as a whole, address ongoing challenges and dependencies between work packages, and align activities for the coming months. Particular attention was given to planning, timelines and organisational matters, as well as preparations for the next consortium meeting.
Reviewing SUNFUSION's Progress
The second day, 10 September, was dedicated to the project’s Review Meeting, with the participation of Project Officer Ana Malvis Romero from CINEA. The review began with an overview of the project’s major achievements, results, challenges, use of resources and deviations during the reporting period, presented by project coordinator Nikolaos Tsongidis from CERTH.
Work package leaders then presented the progress achieved in their respective areas, highlighting completed tasks and deliverables, milestones reached, methodologies implemented, key results and challenges. The presentations covered the core scientific and technological components of SUNFUSION, from process modelling and sustainable mixed biomass feedstock production to hydrothermal liquefaction, thermal energy storage and CSP integration.
The review also addressed the project’s dissemination, exploitation, communication and knowledge exchange activities, providing an overview of the work carried out to increase SUNFUSION’s visibility, engage relevant stakeholders and support the uptake and future exploitation of project results.
The formal review concluded with a joint discussion, initial feedback from the Project Officer and consideration of the next steps for the project. Participants then had the opportunity to take part in a laboratory tour at METU, connecting the discussions with the research infrastructure and activities of the hosting partner.
SUNFUSION Consortium Moving Forward Together
The Ankara meeting marked an important milestone for SUNFUSION, allowing the consortium to take stock of the progress achieved during the first 21 months and ensure that scientific, technical and communication activities remain closely aligned.
With the review completed, the consortium moves into the next phase of the project with a shared understanding of priorities and upcoming activities, continuing its collaborative work towards the development of integrated solar-driven pathways for sustainable fuel production.
A big thank you to the METU team for hosting the SUNFUSION consortium in Ankara, and to all partners for their contributions, discussions and continued collaboration.
Stay tuned and follow our Newsroom for more updates as SUNFUSION continues to turn research and innovation into solutions for a more sustainable energy future.