HELIOSAND harnesses concentrated solar energy to convert waste into valuable resources, minimizing carbon footprint and providing a sustainable alternative to landfilling and ocean dumping
HELIOSAND manufactures zero-carbon furnaces that can neutralize hazardous waste by vitrification using concentrated solar energy from direct radiation. HELIOSAND uses Fresnel lenses to transform waste into glass, locking in pollutants at the atomic level. Picture a child using a magnifying glass to burn paper.
HELIOSAND technology has three main components
1. Solar Concentration: involves groundbreaking research and development in optics and plastics processing. We have innovated a patented process for scaling our solar concentrator, including manufacturing a 100 m2 Fresnel lens. The world's largest lens is currently 10 m².
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2. High-temperature Vitrification: brings innovations in how solar radiation and matter interact and the physical chemistry of glass and ceramics. With the ability to reach temperatures of 4000 °C, this technology allows us to map the physical structure of incoming and outgoing materials and explore the possible applications of new materials.
3. Materials Engineering: new technology makes it possible to develop materials that replace cement, clinker or aggregates for concrete and mortar. Our carbon-free vitrification process produces these materials. We can now decarbonize the most polluting industries in the world: cement manufacture and public works construction.
Technology Road Map
HELIOSAND has completed the development of its 6th prototype, which serves as a test model for industrial feasibility studies and material characterization. A critical technological achievement is the creation of a Fresnel lens solar concentrator, capable of reaching temperatures of up to 4000 °C. How hot is this?
The surface of the Sun – the photosphere – is 5,500°. Tungsten has the highest melting point of any known element, 3,422 °C, which will melt using our solar concentrator. The integration of advanced solar tracking systems and a process for managing incoming and outgoing materials means that our solar recycling process has been tested in real-world conditions, with mineral waste and final waste supplied by various industrial manufacturers.
The Transition to Industrial Scale
We are on track to develop an industrial system capable of recovering 20 tonnes of waste daily by 2026.
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1. INPUT: mineral and non-recyclable waste
2. Mixing & Loading: various types of waste are mixed and loaded
3. Solar Melting: the only technology capable of approaching 4000 °C
4. OUTPUT: our production unit renders pollutants inert in the form of obsidian which can be used in glass and construction industrializing