A pioneering project to decarbonise the chemical industry and transport
PYSOLO will develop a biomass pyrolysis process using concentrated solar power.
Politecnico di Milano is coordinating a consortium of nine partners from four European countries who will work on the four-year PYSOLO (PYrolysis of biomass by concentrated SOLar pOwer) project, funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme with around 5 million euros. For our University, researchers from the Department of Energy, led by Prof. Marco Binotti, will be involved.
The aim of the project is to develop an innovative process that combines concentrated solar radiation and biomass pyrolysis to produce CO2-negative bio-oil, contributing to the decarbonisation and de-fossilisation of the chemical industry and the transport sector.
The pyrolysis gas and biochar are not burned to provide heat for the pyrolysis reactor as in the conventional process, but are useful products that can be used together with the bio-oil for energy, non-energy (such as the synthesis of biofuels for the transport sector) and agricultural purposes (e.g. the char can be used as fertiliser). A significant innovation of the PYSOLO technology is also the ability to operate in different modes, making the process flexible and able to both produce and absorb electricity to/from the grid.
