A Bio-Nano Synergy
Powering the Future with Solar Fuels
SUN-PERFORM aims to make solar fuels more sustainable and affordable by harnessing nanotechnology and synthetic biology to optimise algae for solar fuel production.
Solar fuels are key to decarbonising sectors such as aviation and shipping that cannot switch to electricity easily.
SUN-PERFORM is funded under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the call HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-01-04
This initiative seeks to develop advanced biochemical or biomimetic pathways for solar fuel production that significantly improve efficiency in light harvesting and carbon fixation compared to natural photosynthesis, excluding hydrogen as a fuel.
The funded projects will also address scalability, sustainability, safety, and cost-effectiveness, while integrating with other solar fuel technologies.
Our Innovation
SUN-PERFORM unveils a series of innovative solutions designed to unlock the full potential of microalgae, turning sunlight into a new generation of sustainable fuels with unprecedented efficiency.
Light Harvesting Nanocrystals
We are employing advanced nanocrystals to maximise light absorption in microalgae by converting typically unused wavelengths such as UV and blue light into photosynthetically active radiation.
Solar Fuels Cell Factories
We are engineering microalgae to overcome natural bottlenecks limiting their use for solar fuel production by enhancing i) carbon fixation, ii) energy storage, and iii) the synthesis of key lipid precursors.
These innovations are integrated into a cutting-edge biohybrid system for solar-to-fuel production.
SUN-PERFORM’s approach involves optimizing photobioreactors with the advanced nanocrystal technology and our genetically enhanced algae, ensuring high oil yields while minimizing resource inputs like nutrients and water.
This approach aims to improve solar-to-fuel efficiency four-fold and establish a sustainable model for solar fuel industrial production
Light Harvesting Nanocrystals
We are employing advanced nanocrystals to maximise light absorption in microalgae by converting typically unused wavelengths such as UV and blue light into photosynthetically active radiation.
Solar Fuels Cell Factories
We are engineering microalgae to overcome natural bottlenecks limiting their use for solar fuel production by enhancing i) carbon fixation, ii) energy storage, and iii) the synthesis of key lipid precursors.
These innovations are integrated into a cutting-edge biohybrid system for solar-to-fuel production.
SUN-PERFORM’s approach involves optimizing photobioreactors with the advanced nanocrystal technology and our genetically enhanced algae, ensuring high oil yields while minimizing resource inputs like nutrients and water.
This approach aims to improve solar-to-fuel efficiency four-fold and establish a sustainable model for solar fuel industrial production
Impact
Industrial-scale solar fuel production is crucial to achieving global climate goals and supporting the European Green Deal’s sustainability objectives.
Scalable Pilot Systems
We are testing and refining our technologies under semi-industrial conditions, bridging the gap between lab research and commercial deployment.
Sustainable Waste
We are using waste CO₂ and nutrients as feedstocks, upcycling residual biomass into biochar, and evaluating real-world impacts through life cycle, social, and economic assessments.
Latest News
Our Team
We are a diverse consortium of leading universities, research institutions, and industrial partners across Europe.
Wageningen University Research
Public research university in Wageningen, the Netherlands
Bielefeld University
Public university in Bielefeld, Germany
Polytechnic University of Turin
Public technical university in Turin, Italy
IN society
Not-for-profit small and medium-sized enterprise in Udine, Italy
University of Amsterdam
Public research university in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
SolarFoil
Private for-profit small and medium-sized enterprise in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science
Research organisation in Munich, Germany
University Ibn Zohr
Public university in Agadir, Morocco
SynBio Africa
Education and research center in Uganda, Africa
University of Aveiro
Public, polytechnic university in Aveiro, Portugal