Current and Future Status of Solar Fuel Technology in Germany

Germany has a more than 30 year history in research on solar thermal fuel production. This paper summarizes the present R&D status. It covers the work in the programs of the Helmholtz Association as well as joint academia and industry research projects funded by national and international programs like the German federal ministries or the European Union. It therefore describes how the present maturity level was achieved and who the key partners are. Thermochemical cycles based on metal oxides and sulfur and the solar reforming of methane are the main fields of research discussed. But also developments in solar concentrating facilities are described. Presently as well basic questions like material improvement and theoretical understanding are research topics as well as scale-up into industrial dimensions to enable industry to take over the technologies as soon as possible.