On 7 July, IMDEA Energy hosted the final review meeting of the HYSOLCHEM project, funded by the European Innovation Council under the H2020-FETPROACTIVE-2020 call with 2.76 M€ and coordinated by IMDEA Energy. Over the course of 52 months (01/2021 – 04/2025), the project successfully validated at industrial scale (TRL5) an innovative and cost-effective flow photoreactor concept for the reduction of CO₂ and N₂ to produce solar fuels and chemical compounds, coupled with the oxidation of microplastics and pollutants present in wastewater.

The project officer and external evaluators congratulated the consortium on the work carried out and the results achieved. Key advances were highlighted in the development of novel materials and a TRL5 hybrid PV-EC cell, with promising performance in CO₂ electroreduction and high removal rates of phenols, a particularly relevant contaminant in wastewater.

Throughout the project, the consortium delivered 14 innovations, 19 scientific publications and one patent, showcasing the quality and dedication of the research team. Further collaboration will be required to advance the development of this technology for innovative CO₂ valorisation and N₂ fixation.

The consortium, coordinated by IMDEA Energy, includes Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, INNOVA Srl, Amer-Sil SA, Diamond Light Source LTD, and APRIA Systems SL, bringing together expertise in catalysis, materials science, batteries, water treatment, and environmental and social impact assessment from Spain, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom.

The day concluded with a guided tour of the IMDEA Energy facilities and laboratories, including the Laboratory of the photoactivated processes unit and the Electrochemical devices testing Lab, where attendees had the opportunity to see first-hand the prototype developed within the framework of the project.