What fuel made from the sun could do for the planet

From the article:

> A new facility in Germany is making liquid fuel out of sunlight.

> This week, in a field outside Dusseldorf, Germany, an acre full of mirrors will begin concentrating sunlight on a 66-foot-tall tower. If all goes according to plan, the result will be the first major step toward harnessing the power of the sun to create sustainable, carbon-neutral fuel to power long-haul flights and even some industrial processes that presently require fossil fuels.

> The process is different from the more familiar use of sunlight in green energy: photovoltaic cells that capture the sun’s rays and convert them directly to electricity. In contrast, the Synhelion approach is to harness the power of the sun to create liquid fuels that can “drop in” to existing technology and function just as existing fuels do, without the need for any retrofitting, adaptation, or infrastructure changes.

> The process doesn’t completely eliminate emissions; some carbon will still be emitted that will not then be immediately recaptured. But compared to traditional jet fuel, says Furler, “it’s a significant reduction of 85 to 90 percent.”