Aircraft fuel can be made from sunlight and air, Swiss scientists explain. Equipment has been placed on the roof of the University of Zurich, with the help of which engineers are testing: if and when this "generation of fuel" could realistically be used. Producing aviation fuel from natural ingredients alone—it sounds so beautiful, but how true is it? How will it work in practice?

Carbon-neutral fuel is synthesised in three steps. First: a capture device absorbs CO2 and water from the air. Second: a solar reactor "takes" solar energy, with the help of which it converts CO2 and H2O into a mixture of CO and H2, also known as syngas. Third: the syngas is converted into a liquid that is used as fuel (also called solar fuel).