RD&I

Rheticus 

Artificial photosynthesis - a contribution to the energy transition

With the joint research project Rheticus, Evonik and Siemens Energy provide an answer to key questions of the energy transition:

How can the chemical industry be made more climate-friendly, how can the use of fossil raw materials be reduced, and how can renewable electricity be made usable as an energy source and stored in the long term?

With the innovative technology of artificial photosynthesis, which is behind Rheticus, valuable specialty chemicals are to be produced sustainably - from carbon dioxide (CO2) and electricity from renewable sources with the help of bacteria. By using CO2 as a raw material, Rheticus can reduce dependence on fossil raw materials.

By combining electrolysis (Siemens Energy) and fermentation (Evonik), Rheticus enables the merging of the energy and chemical sectors and access to a more climate-friendly design of the chemical industry.