The environmental impact is colossal. According to the IAEA, if 10% of global transport switches to solar fuel by 2035, CO₂ emissions will be reduced by 1.8 billion tons per year—the equivalent of planting 30 billion trees. This is one of the most direct paths to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
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Interestingly, the technology revives a forgotten idea—the “chemical battery.” Energy is stored not in batteries, but in chemical bonds, as in nature. This system is safer, cheaper, and more efficient for storage over months and years, not hours. This solves the main problem of renewable energy—the variability of sun and wind.
Seventeen countries have already included artificial photosynthesis in their national “green transition” programs. The EU has launched the “Solar Fuel for All” project, funding the installation of reactors in every second home by 2030. The US offers tax incentives for private owners.
However, there are challenges. Catalyst production requires rare earth elements. Scientists are actively searching for alternatives—for example, those based on iron and nickel. The first prototypes, with an efficiency of 14%, are already showing promising results.
This invention blurs the lines between energy, chemistry, and biology. It doesn’t just replace fossil fuels—it restores humanity’s ability to “eat the sun,” as plants have done for billions of years.
And when the first fully autonomous solar-powered city opens in Germany in 2025, the world will understand: the energy revolution is no longer ahead. It is here.
