The green fuel of the future

“In this project we are developing new technology that can convert CO₂ emissions into useful products instead of releasing them into the atmosphere. At present, CO₂ contributes to climate change or requires costly and complex collection and storage. In the long term, our approach could become a simpler alternative,” explains Fatemeh Sadat Mirsafi at the Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, University of Southern Denmark.

Using sustainable wind and solar electricity sources, the technology converts CO₂ into carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide is important in the production of fuels such as methanol and sustainable aviation fuel, in addition to other chemicals used in industry. An essential advantage of this method is that this stage does not require hydrogen, which is currently expensive to produce, then difficult to store and handle on a large scale.

The research team at the University of Southern Denmark is developing a compact reactor that uses microwave energy to create a plasma which can split CO₂ molecules fast and effectively. The aim is to optimise and manage the system to improve its capacity and make the technology competitive compared with current industrial solutions.

In the long term, it will be possible to install the system on site at factories, biogas plants and on other industrial facilities, so that CO₂ is converted into valuable resources, reducing emissions and contributing to the green transition at the same time.