Sunfuel-EICPrize-2021
The Horizon Prize for Fuels from the Sun: Artificial Photosynthesis aims to promote new technologies that deliver fuels that can be used as a sustainable alternative to fossil energy and feedstocks for a range of industrial processes. Artificial photosynthesis is considered one of the most promising breakthrough technologies in the field due to its ability to use a combination of sunlight, water and carbon from the air to capture and store solar energy in an efficient and transportable form. The focus of the prize is on proof-of-concept involving the building of a fully functional, bench-scale prototype device of an artificial photosynthesis synthetic fuel production system. The device to be built needs to integrate the whole artificial photosynthesis process from light capture to fuel production that generates a fuel capable of powering a small engine. Achieving the prize aim and objective will take current research out of the laboratory and into the realms of an engineering challenge, with a view to accelerating research and innovation in the field.