PYSOLO – Making use of concentrated solar power for biomass pyrolysis: new paths for a climate-neutral Europe
The EU chemical industry urgently needs to abstain from fossil resources and to move towards the use of renewable carbon. Energy and heat needed for industrial processes can be derived from renewable sources such as solar energy. However, this decarbonisation through electrification of the industry is not sufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. In parallel, the chemical industry needs to be defossilised. For this, the raw material for chemicals and materials must come from renewable sources, e.g. biomass.
PYSOLO (PYrolysis of biomass by concentrated SOLar pOwer) offers a solution for both decarbonisation and defossilisation by preparing the ground for a fully renewable process combining concentrated solar power and biomass pyrolysis. Thanks to the use of solar heat in the pyrolysis process, the production of valuable products bio-oil, biochar and pyrogas can be maximised and the associated CO₂ emission minimised. This offers both economic and environmental benefits compared to conventional pyrolysis.