Deals Counterparts

UPNA, Lurederra, and Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica partner on Panel-to-Fuel project to produce synthetic fuels using solar, water, and CO2

Partnership Hydrogen announced Spain Mar 5, 2026
development
Stage
Panel-to-Fuel
Project

The UPNA, Lurederra, and Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica are collaborating on the Panel-to-Fuel project, an initiative focused on demonstrating the technical viability of producing synthetic fuels using only sunlight, water, and CO2 captured directly from the air.

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Deal Analysis

The announced "Panel-to-Fuel" project represents a strategic partnership between the Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), Centro Tecnológico Lurederra, and Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica (INM) in Spain. This collaboration is focused on demonstrating the technical viability of producing synthetic fuels using only sunlight, water, and CO2 captured directly from the air. This initiative is significant as it targets a highly sustainable and circular approach to fuel production, potentially offering a pathway to decarbonize sectors reliant on liquid fuels by leveraging renewable energy and atmospheric carbon. This deal is notable for its innovative technological ambition, combining direct air capture (DAC) with solar-driven synthetic fuel synthesis, positioning it at the cutting edge of green hydrogen and e-fuel research. The partnership structure, bringing together academic expertise, a technological research center, and an engineering firm, underscores a comprehensive approach to R&D and eventual scalability. While the project is in its early "announced" stage with undisclosed value and capacity, its focus on technical viability demonstration is a critical precursor to future commercialization efforts in the burgeoning synthetic fuels market.
  • Partnership between academic, research, and engineering entities in Spain.
  • Focus on demonstrating technical viability of solar-driven synthetic fuels from direct air captured CO2 and water.
  • Innovative integration of direct air capture (DAC) for carbon feedstock.
  • Early-stage R&D project targeting sustainable fuel production.

Source Intelligence

KEY DETAILS

The project aims to demonstrate the technical viability of producing synthetic fuels using only sunlight, water, and CO2 captured directly from the air. It integrates three stages: production of green hydrogen, direct CO2 capture, and catalytic conversion to synthetic hydrocarbons. Prototypes have already allowed the production of solar methane. The project is funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación, the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia (financed by the European Union through NextGenerationEU), and UPNA itself. Quote: "El proyecto Panel-to-Fuel investiga cómo transformar luz solar, agua y CO2 en combustibles sintéticos. Fuente: UPNA" and "El proyecto aborda la valorización del CO₂ como vector estratégico para la descarbonización del transporte mediante la síntesis de combustibles líquidos compatibles con la infraestructura existente. El esquema tecnológico integra tres etapas: producción de hidrógeno verde, captura directa de CO₂ y conversión catalítica hacia hidrocarburos sintéticos." and "Los prototipos desarrollados han permitido ya la producción de metano solar." and "El proyecto cuenta con financiación de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación, del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia —financiado por la Unión Europea a través de NextGenerationEU— y de la propia UPNA."

Location
La Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)... participa junto al Centro Tecnológico Lurederra y la empresa Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica (INM) en el proyecto Panel-to-Fuel
Announcement
marzo 5, 2026
PARTIES MENTIONED IN SOURCE
U
Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA) participant

"La Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), a través de su Instituto de Materiales Avanzados y Matemáticas (INAMAT²), participa junto al Centro Tecnológico Lurederra y la empresa Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica (INM) en el proyecto Panel-to-Fuel"

C
Centro Tecnológico Lurederra participant

"La Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), a través de su Instituto de Materiales Avanzados y Matemáticas (INAMAT²), participa junto al Centro Tecnológico Lurederra y la empresa Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica (INM) en el proyecto Panel-to-Fuel"

I
Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica (INM) participant

"La Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), a través de su Instituto de Materiales Avanzados y Matemáticas (INAMAT²), participa junto al Centro Tecnológico Lurederra y la empresa Ingeniería Navarra Mecánica (INM) en el proyecto Panel-to-Fuel"

medium quality Enriched Mar 5, 2026

Timeline

Announced
Mar 5, 2026
Signed
Closed
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