In a world-first, a passenger bus at Zurich Airport has been fueled with solar diesel produced by Synhelion, marking another milestone for Power-to-X innovation made in Switzerland. The solar fuel was produced using SPIN member Synhelion’s unique technology that converts concentrated sunlight into heat of over 1,500°C, enabling the production of synthetic fuels from CO₂ and water.
This solar diesel can directly replace conventional fossil fuels without any engine modifications, offering a defossilised alternative for the aviation and transport sectors. The demonstration at Zurich Airport showcases the potential of solar fuels to defossilise hard-to-abate sectors while maintaining existing infrastructure. Accelerating electrification of transport as well as parallel scaling up solar fuels and eFuels production is the fastest way to protect our climate’s stability.
Synhelion’s achievement underlines Switzerland’s leading role in Power- an Solar-to-X technologies, bridging renewable energy and mobility. With projects like this, synthetic fuels move closer to commercial reality — supporting climate goals and energy independence.
Source: Synhelion – First-ever passenger bus at Zurich Airport fueled with Synhelion’s solar diesel