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Syngaschem BV will move to DIFFER by January 2016

Published on September 21, 2015
21 September 2015
Syngaschem BV has signed a contract with DIFFER, the Dutch Institiute For Fundamental Energy Research: From January onwards, Syngaschem will be officially housed in the new DIFFER building on the TU/e Science Park in Eindhoven. In addition to an office suitable for a staff of five, it will use a laboratory of 50m2 for its research on catalysis and surface science, which will become known as SynCat@DIFFER.

This agreement comes forth from a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties on April 16, 2015. It determines that Syngaschem BV and DIFFER form a ‘public-private partnership' based on their common interest in turning electrical energy into chemical energy via synthesis gas.

Storing electricity is a major technological challenge for the future of sustainable energy supply due to the intermittent availability of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The concept pursued by DIFFER and Syngaschem BV uses green electricity to convert water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) into syngas, a mixture of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO). This syngas can be converted into several clean fuels, such as diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, methanol or dimethyl ether by using the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis or other related processes. At present, multinationals such as Shell, Sasol and Synfuels China do this on a large scale with their coal-to-liquids and gas-to-liquids technologies, mainly in South Africa, Qatar, and China. Feeding the process with non-fossil syngas results in ultra-clean fuels with a low carbon footprint.

To make this concept work, both partners seek to create breakthroughs at process steps, such as efficient water splitting, and non-conventional CO2 activation by using plasma activation and novel reactor concepts. They expect to benefit from each other’s diverse capabilities, expertise, and international networks and hope to create synergies leading to significant insights and innovations. Syngaschem’s extensive experience with the science of surfaces, materials, catalytic processes, and on novel reactor concepts is a welcome feature at DIFFER institute, which is traditionally strong in plasma technology. Syngaschem BV and its major partner in industry, Synfuels China, are active in coal-to-liquid and gas-to-liquid technology, but their fundamental understanding of Fischer Tropsch Synthesis is applicable in green electricity storage as well. And like DIFFER, Syngaschem BV invests in knowledge of electrochemistry.

Once the principle of storing green electricity as fuels is proven on a lab scale, DIFFER has the capability to scale up the process to a demonstrator level.

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