Solar fuels come a step closer...

A couple of months ago, I wrote that a company called Synhelion was one to watch. Just a short time later, it is great to see the inauguration of their first industrial-scale solar fuels plant. 

DAWN features a field of mirrors surrounding a 20 meter high tower containing a solar receiver which transfers solar energy to a thermochemical reactor to produce synthetic fuels. The energy can be used directly or stored for use later when less solar energy is available. 

Solar fuel-based processes of this kind are highly attractive in accelerating the energy transition because they are both carbon neutral and fully compatible with the existing fossil-fuel based infrastructure.