At the 18th November we had the pleasure of holding the kick-off meeting for SOLEAS in Graz – one of the seven selected projects of the prestigious EIC Pathfinder Solar-to-X Challenge 2024. Within SOLEAS we redefine the boundaries of solar chemistry.
In SOLEAS, we are exploring radically new approaches to tackle one of the major challenges of the energy transition: producing chemicals and materials directly from sunlight and simple molecules such as H₂O, CO₂, and N₂.
Our goal: A self-sustaining Solar-to-X device that simultaneously produces ethylene (C₂H₄) and ammonia (NH₃) – two essential building blocks for chemical and material value chains.
What we are developing in SOLEAS
- New selective and stable photocathodes and photoanodes
- Novel concentrator optics and quantum materials that precisely focus sunlight and optimally harvest it for photochemical reactions
- An integrated photoreactor design that enables multiple reactions in parallel – without external power input
With this, we aim to overcome the well-known limitations of today’s photoreactors: lack of scalability, low efficiency, and insufficient alignment between materials and reactor design.
Our pathway
Over the next four years, we will develop a functional prototype at TRL 5–6, capable of demonstrating feasibility under near-real-world conditions. In the long term, we see SOLEAS as a technology that can supply communities and remote areas with locally produced chemicals, energy carriers, and materials.
Together with IC2R, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V., NanoSci | Pure Air through Photocatalysis & Green Tech Valley we bring together multidisciplinary expertise in materials science, reactor design, modelling, and system integration. We look forward to four years of scientific excellence and European collaboration – and to taking Solar-to-X technologies to the next level.
