Interview in deVolksrant

Oct 14, 2022 | News, SUNER-C

Prof. Weckhuysen from the Utrecht Univeristy, SUNER-C coordinator talks about artificial photosynthesis in this interview

Prof. Weckhuysen explains that the supply and demand of renewable energy often do not match – for example, there is not enough power from the solar panels in the winter, while the heat pumps, stoves and infrared heaters have to run then. Artificial photosynthesis offers an alternative, by directly storing the energy from sunlight in known fuels such as methane, petrol and kerosene, of which the emitted carbon dioxide can be reused. Weckhuysen calls it ‘the refinery of the future’.

He also describes recent discoveries and the field and talks about the EU recently launched CSA ‘SUNER-C‘, a 4 million euro project bringing together European companies, governments and researchers.

You can read the full interview in dutch following this link. Enjoy the reading!

The ‘black box’ of the Utrecht chemist Bert Weckhuysen: water, carbon dioxide and light go in, fuel comes out.