Transforming Sunlight Into efuel: Skytree Stratus Selected by Forschungszentrum Jülich for Innovative Power-to-X Research Project

Skytree’s Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology has been selected by Germany’s Forschungszentrum Jülich for a pioneering Power-to-X research project. The goal: to create a scalable, real-world model for converting solar energy into carbon building blocks usable as eFuel or base chemical  eFuels are renewable, carbon-neutral liquid fuels that can be produced in desert climates, powered by solar energy, and transported to energy-demanding regions like Europe. This initiative aims to demonstrate how companies could transform excess renewable energy into safely transportable fuels using Direct Air Capture in the future.‍

AMSTERDAM, May 20, 2025 — Skytree, a pioneer in decentralized Direct Air Capture (DAC), has been selected as a core  technology provider to Forschungszentrum Jülich for a groundbreaking Power-to-X pilot; a process that transforms renewable electricity into storable forms of energy like fuels or chemicals. In this pilot, Skytree’s Stratus will capture CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, a key component in the production of green methanol. This carbon-neutral fuel can be safely stored, transported, and used without introducing new emissions.

The project begins with system testing at Jülich’s facilities in the first quarter of 2026 in Germany and will later transition to deployment in desert environments, where abundant sunlight and arid conditions offer ideal real-world validation. The outcome could redefine how renewable energy is harvested, stored, and shipped globally - essentially creating a clean-energy bridge between continents.‍

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Photo: The Skytree and Jülich team in front of the Skytree Stratus in construction in Skytree’s workshop in Almere. From left to right: Hermann Tempel, Victor Selmert, Ot Messemaker, Jeroen Moonen, Carl Jung

“At Skytree, we’re proud to contribute to this project, which shows how modular Direct Air Capture technology powered by renewable energy can support the development of clean, scalable eFuels. It’s a practical example of how localized CO₂ capture can help meet energy needs in a more sustainable way globally. We appreciate the trust Jülich has placed in us and value their leadership in sustainable innovation.” 

‍- Ot Messemaker, Skytree

‍“Direct air capture is a crucial part of our carbon capture and utilization concept, delivering the CO₂ and water needed to drive the Power-to-X process. We’re excited to push the boundaries of CCU with this project and are looking forward to Skytree supplying their state-of-the-art DAC technology. Their device is an impressive example of cutting-edge engineering in the field of atmospheric CO₂ capture and we're eager to test the unit at our facility to take a step toward turning sustainable fuels into a real-world solution.”  

‍– Victor Selmert, Forschungszentrum Jülich

Offering a scalable DAC model for tomorrow’s energy industry

Although this project will start as a research initiative, it has greater implications. The results of the research are expected to be made publicly available to demonstrate how businesses might one day integrate DAC into the solar-to-fuel value chain—turning excess renewable energy into transportable fuels like methanol. Jülich’s selection of the Stratus system reflects growing interest in decentralized DAC as a key enabler of future eFuel infrastructure.

Phase 1: Research and development in Germany

In the initial phase, Skytree’s Stratus System—featuring its Arid Climate Core DAC technology—will be tested at Jülich’s facilities in Germany. It will be integrated with compact CO₂ liquefaction technology, to create a streamlined system that captures CO₂ from the air and converts it into liquid methanol on-site. In this demonstrator system, CO2 and water are converted into CO and H2 (so called syn gas) by using a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). The syn gas is subsequently converted to methanol in a methanol reactor. One of the advantages of this approach is that the DAC unit is able to supply both the CO2 and the water needed for the synthesis of methanol, which makes it the ideal provider of resources for methanol production in dry areas, where no other water source is available. Only cheap renewable energy is needed in addition. This first phase focuses on validating system performance and refining the DAC-to-fuel conversion process. Learn more about the project at www.dryhy.de

Phase 2: Real-world testing in desert conditions

Following validation, the system will be deployed and operated in a desert location on the African continent to utilize the high solar power potential and assess performance under extreme heat, dryness, and remote conditions. This stage will test the system’s durability and reliability in the kind of environment where large-scale solar powered eFuel production could be most impactful.‍

A vision for clean energy transport

The process is straightforward: Skytree’s DAC unit harnesses solar energy from regions where it is abundant, to extract CO₂ directly from the ambient air. This captured CO₂ is then combined with hydrogen to produce methanol, a stable, energy-rich liquid that can be safely stored and transported. Because the CO₂ originates from the atmosphere, burning the resulting methanol does not introduce new emissions, making it a truly carbon-neutral fuel.‍

About the technology

• Direct Air Capture (DAC): Skytree’s machines remove CO₂ directly from ambient air using renewable energy.
  
• Power-to-X: Converts captured CO₂ and renewable electricity into chemical products such as methanol – a liquid fuel that can be easily stored and transported.
  
• Liquefaction: Allows captured CO₂ to be liquified on-site. eFuel use case: Methanol produced using captured atmospheric CO₂ can be burned without net CO₂ emissions – creating a sustainable energy loop.‍
  

About Forschungszentrum Jülich

Forschungszentrum Jülich is one of Europe’s leading interdisciplinary research centers, focused on developing solutions for the grand challenges of our time. With a strong emphasis on energy, climate, and information technologies, Jülich combines cutting-edge fundamental research with applied science to support sustainable innovation. Home to over 7,000 employees, the center fosters collaboration between science, industry, and policy to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral and knowledge-based society. Learn more at www.fz-juelich.de

‍##About Skytree

Founded in 2014 in Amsterdam with offices in Amsterdam, Toronto and Nashville, Skytree engineers the CO₂ transition with advanced Direct Air Capture (DAC) machines for carbon removal and utilization. Built on European Space Agency expertise, the company delivers scalable, plug-and-play systems tailored for both decentralized installations and large-scale DAC Parks. By transforming CO₂ from a waste product into a valuable resource, Skytree is generating CO₂ from the atmosphere, at the location where it is needed. Skytree Stratus units set the standard for cost and energy efficiency, providing flexible gaseous or liquid CO₂ outputs. Continuously enhanced with next-generation sorbents, Skytree systems radically improve energy efficiency and production capacity over time. With Cumulus units already operating worldwide and a project pipeline for Stratus exceeding 2 million tons of CO₂ annually, Skytree is accelerating the shift to a circular carbon economy with mass-produced, cost-leading, and proven DAC solutions today. For more information, visit skytree.eu.