HR4RS stamp
Writing/Irene Vega
At the beginning of 2021, the research project began HySolChem, financed by the Pathfinder initiative, a highly competitive call from the European Union, which selects only projects with the potential to launch a new technological paradigm.
The main objective of this consortium is to curb pollution and climate change. For this, it has research teams from Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, England and Spain. Among them is the team led by professors Javier Marugán and Javier Dufour, from the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Group (GIQA) of the URJC. They will be in charge of validating the prototype at the facilities of the wastewater treatment plant on the Móstoles campus, as well as carrying out the life cycle analysis of the developed technology.
Providing clean and sustainable energy, one of Europe's main difficulties in meeting its climate goals
The project is developing a photocatalytic reactor prototype that can mitigate the effects of climate change, fossil fuel extraction and wastewater pollution at the same time. The prototype is scheduled to be validated in a wastewater treatment plant in 2023 and can be used in a variety of portable and stationary applications, including the chemical, fertilizer, cement and refinery sectors, as well as residences, cement plants and Energy plants.
“Imagine a machine that can take greenhouse gases from one end, dangerous water pollutants from the other, and react them together to create a high-value fuel using sunlight as an energy source. This is what HySolChem sets out to do," explains Dr. Fabio Ugolini, Operations Officer at HySolChem.
The development of light-powered technology provides an innovative way of converting and storing renewable energy. The project aims to create a low-cost flow-through photo-reactor for the reduction of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and N2 (nitrogen) to produce clean fuels and chemicals, as well as the oxidation of microplastics and organic contaminants from water treatment residuals.
Within the framework of this project, CO2 recovery methods, artificial photosynthesis, N2 fixation and the degradation of water pollutants are also being studied to achieve these ambitious objectives. The environmental, economic and social analysis of the life cycle of materials and devices will also be carried out.
The HySolChem project, which began in January 2021, will last 36 months (until December 2023) and brings together experts in catalysis, materials science, batteries, water treatment, social and environmental impact assessment and business consulting, of European companies and academic institutions of great international prestige.