---
title: "New System Creates Jet Fuel From Water, CO2 and Sunlight"
description: "Scientists in Switzerland say they've figured out how to make jet fuel from water, carbon dioxide and sunlight using a solar tower."
date: "2022-07-23"
modified: "2022-07-23"
authors:
  - name: "Lonnie Lee Hood"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/ahood"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/jet-fuel-water-co2-sunlight"
categories:
  - "Energy"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "energy"
  - "environment"
  - "renewable energy"
  - "the digest"
---

# New System Creates Jet Fuel From Water, CO2 and Sunlight

![Scientists in Switzerland say they've figured out how to make jet fuel from water, carbon dioxide and sunlight using a solar tower.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/jet-fuel-water-co2-sunlight.jpg>)
*Traffic flights in Barcelona are in augment due the Covid-19 vaccine and the immunization certificate for the complete vaccine. (EU digital Covid Certificate). \<em\>Image: Getty Images/Artur Debat\</em\>*

## Light Work

Scientists in Switzerland say they've figured out how to make jet fuel from nothing more than water, carbon dioxide and sunlight.

New research [published in the journal *Joule*](<https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(22)00286-0?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2542435122002860%3Fshowall%3Dtrue#%20>) this week explains how the team built a solar tower to handle the entire process. The tower uses solar energy to produce synthetic alternative fuels instead of ones derived from fossil fuels. The kerosene the solar tower makes is supposedly ready for normal use in aviation, including storage and flying — which, given the [sky-high carbon footprint of air travel](<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/28/business/energy-environment/airlines-climate-planes-emissions.html#:~:text=Experts%20say%20commercial%20air%20travel,flights%20is%20outpacing%20those%20advancements.>), is an extremely intriguing proposition.

"With our solar technology, we have shown that we can produce synthetic kerosene from water and CO2 instead of deriving it from fossil fuels," said Aldo Steinfeld, co-author, [in a press statement](<https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/an-all-in-one-solar-powered-tower-makes-carbon-neutral-jet-fuel>). "The amount of CO2 emitted during kerosene combustion in a jet engine equals that consumed during its production in the solar plant. That makes the fuel carbon neutral, especially if we use CO2 captured directly from the air as an ingredient, hopefully in the not-too-distant future."

## Better, Faster

Finding better methods of energy production across the board has really never been so important.

Many in the US are still [feeling the squeeze of gas prices](<https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-07-20/if-climate-is-a-national-emergency-keep-gasoline-prices-high>), and countries around the globe have been [struggling to meet power demands](<https://futurism.com/japan-nuclear-reactors-energy-winter>) as they seek energy independence from Russia. While some [power grids in the US](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/texas-crypto-miner-quit-hot>) are straight up failing, states like [California are working hard](<https://www.npr.org/2022/05/07/1097376890/for-a-brief-moment-calif-fully-powered-itself-with-renewable-energy>) to provide renewable energy that doesn't make climate change worse.

Jet fuel is [just as intimately connected to climate change](<https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210525-how-aviation-is-reducing-its-climate-emissions>) as power grids, and a rising tide lifts all boats. Here's hoping energy experts will keep going until the job is done.

**More on energy news:** [*Kardashian Slammed for 17-Minute Private Jet Flight to Beat Traffic*](<https://futurism.com/kylie-jenner-17-minute-private-jet>)