Netherlands-based direct air capture (DAC) specialist Skytree will provide its technology to a German Power-to-X project aiming to demonstrate how solar energy and captured CO2 can be converted into synthetic fuels like methanol for use in energy or industry.
E-fuels – synthetic fuels made from captured CO2 and green hydrogen – are increasingly seen as a promising solution for decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation, shipping, and chemical manufacturing.
The four-year project, named SynCom, is led by national research institution Forschungszentrum Jülich and supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It will be split into two phases.
In the first phase, Skytree’s DAC system will be tested at Jülich’s facilities in Germany. Carbon dioxide will be captured from the air and passed through a solid oxide electrolysis cell to convert the CO2 and water into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, or syngas.
This syngas will then be converted into green methanol in a methanol reactor. One advantage of this approach is that the DAC unit can supply both the CO2 and the water needed for the synthesis of methanol. This makes the technology particularly suitable for methanol production in dry or arid regions where water is scarce.
“It’s a practical example of how localised CO2 capture can help meet energy needs in a more sustainable way,” said Ot Messemaker, Senior Manager of Strategic Development at Skytree.
The technology’s ability to operate on solar power and withstand extreme conditions will be tested in the second phase of the project, when the system is deployed in an African desert. This environment will “push the boundaries” of carbon capture and utilisation, according to Victor Selmert of Forschungszentrum Jülich.
“[Skytree’s] device is an example of cutting-edge engineering in the field of atmospheric CO2 capture and we’re eager to test the unit at our facility,” he said.
If successful, SynCom could demonstrate how distributed DAC and solar-driven fuel synthesis might scale beyond pilot projects, especially in regions where energy access and water scarcity overlap.
A 2024 BloombergNEF report estimates that 1.1 billion gallons of e-fuel capacity is planned to come online globally by 2030. While promising, Power-to-Liquids technologies – expected to account for just 5% of that capacity – face cost hurdles.
Unlike other renewable fuels led by oil majors, the PtL space is dominated by startups, often depending on partnerships and external financing. BloombergNEF notes that e-kerosene could be five to nine times more expensive than conventional jet fuel.
