The Project

The GlaS-A-Fuels project will develop a radical technology to produce advanced, solar biofuels. In a world where transport decarbonization is crucial, traditional biofuel production encounters obstacles. Despite the promise of Bio-BuOH, conventional methods often yield more bio-EtOH from the same feedstock.

GlaS-A-Fuels shatters this barrier
with our groundbreaking process

Vision

We aim to leverage the well-developed know‑how in bio‑EtOH production by envisioning the modular integration of a novel processing step, whereby bio‑BuOH and bio‑H2 will be produced from bio‑EtOH via the Guerbet reaction and EtOH dehydrogenation respectively.

GlaS‑A‑Fuels vision is twofold:

1


The development of a self-powered light-trapping and light-tuning photonic composite glass reactor for maximizing solar-energy harvesting

2


The development and validation of earth‑abundant and eco‑friendly photo‑amplified single atom catalysts (Photo‑SACs) able to bypass the current challenges for bio‑BuOH and bio‑H2 production.

GlaS-A-Fuels aims to harness the full power of the light‑activated carriers of photoactive supports by channeling this energy to the surface‑exposed transition metal‑cation single atom sites. There, via the effective coordination with the reactants and energy matching with their frontier orbitals, solar energy to fuel conversion can be maximised.

Waste Biomass


Agricultural, Municipal, Forestry, Animal Residues

Bioethanol Production


Milling Sacharification Fermentation

GlaS-A-Fuels


Integrated down-stream Technology

Photonic
Reactor

Photo-amplified
single-atom catalysts

Bio-EtOH ➤

Advanced Biofuels C4+ Alcohols, and H2

Key Innovations

Development of a method for integrating PNCs‑PL and thermoelectric (TE) composite materials into inorganic glasses


Introduction of Photo‑active Single Atom Catalysts (Photo‑SACs)


Creation of polymer‑based thermoelectric materials


Implementation of an intelligent control system