“We are a carbon recoding company.” This is the motto of Liquid Sun, a startup based in Tampere, Finland, which has developed an innovative low-temperature electrolysis technology capable of converting biogenic carbon dioxide emissions and hydrogen into sustainable fuels, using only renewable electricity.
The end product is eSAF, a synthetic fuel designed for aviation that, unlike some emerging alternatives, can be used in existing aircraft without any modifications to engines, airport infrastructure or logistics chains.
Based on research conducted at the Universities of Tampere and Stanford for the production of synthetic hydrocarbons, the technology progressed from the laboratory to the market in 2022 after a series of successful tests, with 5 patents filed.
Liquid Sun works by separating CO2 and recombining it into fuels and useful chemical products. The process is designed to be efficient, economically sustainable and easily scalable, while the modular approach allows the system to be integrated into existing settings, avoiding the need to redesign entire infrastructures.
Although aviation is the primary focus, potential applications are broad: the technology can also be deployed in maritime transport, heavy logistics and the manufacturing industry.
“We believe rapid piloting and validation is the right approach when building an entirely new industry for synthetic fuels,” says Liquid Sun CEO Pasi Keinänen. In the final quarter of last year, the startup began operating its first pilot plant in collaboration with Finnair, among others, and produced the first batches of crude feedstock for eSAF.
Name:
Liquid Sun
Website:
Sector:
eSAF
Pros:
Creation of Electro-Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Features:
Conversion of CO₂ into fuel through low-temperature electrolysis
Cover: image by Envato