REFINE Newsletter #2

Latest News:

New research article

Social acceptance of solar fuels in Germany: Evidence from a national survey on artificial photosynthesis-derived isobutanol

In this study, our partners at RWTH provide evidence on social acceptance and public perceptions of artificial-photosynthesis-derived solar isobutanol in Germany, based on a census-representative sample of 830 participants. Their findings underline that successful scaling of solar fuels requires both (i) credible, verifiable claims about climate and sustainability performance to sustain sociopolitical legitimacy and market interest, and (ii) targeted risk management and participatory, trust-building approaches for local implementation — especially regarding production safety and GMO governance. Future research should track opinion dynamics over time as familiarity increases and should further disentangle sector-specific acceptance mechanisms, particularly for non-fuel applications where perceptions appear more heterogeneous and cautious.

REFINE highlights that the viability of solar fuels will not be determined by technical performance alone; social acceptance and societal perception are critical to the implementation, scaling, and ultimate impact of this innovative energy-transition technology.

You can read the article for free here.

Online seminar

Systems of artificial photosynthesis for the production of sustainable, high-value chemicals

Welcome to a REFINE interdisciplinary, online seminar on systems of artificial photosynthesis for the production of sustainable, high-value chemicals. REFINE is a multidisciplinary, EU HORIZON-funded project, dedicated to developing a revolutionary artificial photosynthesis system capable of directly producing high-energy alcohols such as isopropanol and butanol, using captured carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen (H₂) generated through water photoelectrolysis.

In this online seminar, apart from developments within the project presented by the REFINE partners covering both societal and scientific challenges, we are more than happy to include invited presentations from Dr. Mihalis Tsampas (DIFFER, The Netherlands), Prof. Lifeng Liu (Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, China) and Dr. Gerardo Colon (CSIC, Spain) on catalyst and electrode design strategies, hybrid water electrolysis systems and photocatalytic hydrogen generation. We are looking forward to a two-half-day cross-disciplinary seminar full of valuable discussions.