11-12 March 2025, the 18-month Sulphurreal project meeting took place in Rome, marked by strong collaboration and valuable exchanges among partners. The meeting focused on updates and developments in the project’s key objectives.
The meeting was hosted by ENEA, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, one of the partners in the project. ENEA focuses on research, technological innovation, and advanced services in energy, the environment, and sustainable development across Italy.
Progress in all areas
All the partners from research, science, business, and industry gathered to discuss the current status of various work packages. Each team presented their progress, showcasing advances in all areas of the project.
Current work includes:
- Development and selection of oxide sulphur trioxide splitting (STS) catalyst materials
- Shortlisted formulations of catalytic materials for shaping into porous structures
- SO2 disproportionation and SO3 splitting catalyst structures
- Design and simulation of sulphuric trioxide splitting reactors
- Modelling and design of sulphur dioxide disproportionation reactors
- Testing coatings and materials for high-power density sulphur burners
- Flowsheet development and process scale-up
- AI-driven digital twin technology
- Life cycle assessment
- Preparation of hazard and operability studies
Tour of ENEA’s Casaccia Research Centre facility
An additional highlight of the meeting was a tour of ENEA’s Casaccia Research Centre facility. Participants explored the molten salts parabolic trough solar plant, the solar chemical laboratory, the CometHy plant and a dynamic corrosion test rig, where materials, components and systems for solar fuel production and heat supply are researched. They also visited the PCS and MoSE plants, studying materials and systems for Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) plants to improve energy performance, economic competitiveness, and integration with energy networks. The tour also included the Reslag, SOLteca, and Ates facilities for thermal storage systems aimed at improving smart grid integration.
Looking ahead, the project team is excited about the next phase of the Sulphurreal project. Through innovative collaboration, the project is making significant strides in advancing energy storage technologies, particularly with its groundbreaking approach to storing concentrated solar energy in solid sulphur. This pioneering method uses solar energy to drive a cyclical process that converts sulphuric acid and sulphur back and forth, offering a promising solution for energy storage.
Find out more about the consortium here.
Find out more about the project here.
