Energy and Environment
Read more at: Research on energy and the environment at the PSI
New catalysts for pharmaceutical companies
In partnership with Roche, PSI scientists are developing new, potentially more efficient catalysts for manufacturing active substances for drug therapies.
Carbon dioxide can be turned into a valuable resource
New study explores methods for using waste gas efficiently.
"We can now look at climate change regionally"
Margit Schwikowski is head of the Laboratory for Environmental Chemistry at PSI. In an interview, she explains what aerosols have to do with climate change.
Getting maximum energy out of biomass
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI start operation of a revolutionary pilot plant for production of synthetic biogas.
Where will the electricity come from in 2050?
Net-zero goal for CO2 emissions is technically achievable.
Effectively removing CO2 from the atmosphere
With careful planning, effective CO2 capture is technically possible.
‘Ice Memory Mission’ accomplished
During its expedition to the Monte Rosa massif, the international Ice Memory team extracted two ice cores over 80 meters long from Colle Gnifetti, the oldest ice in the Alps.
“Without these technologies, we will hardly achieve our climate targets”
To achieve carbon neutrality, technologies need to be deployed which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The glacial memory of the Monte Rosa
The next mission to preserve the climate heritage of the Pennine Alps has begun: For the Ice Memory Project, researchers set off for Monte Rosa’s Colle Gnifetti.
Improving the resilience of Switzerland’s energy supply
The SURE research project is up and running.
Safely stored for a million years
Switzerland plans to construct a deep repository for its radioactive waste. There are three potential locations, and data obtained by PSI researchers can aid in selection of the best one.
Aerosol formation in clouds
How chemical reactions in clouds can influence the global climate.
Particulates are more dangerous than previously thought
A precise look into the finest particles in the air shows how compounds harmful to human health are formed.
Switzerland's energy transition
Can Switzerland, as planned, reduce its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050? What is needed to achieve this? What could it cost?
Green fuels for aviation
In a new initiative, PSI and Empa want to jointly develop a process for producing kerosene from renewable resources.
Foundations for the energy system of tomorrow
On the way to a sustainable energy system, technologies that help to flexibly convert and efficiently store energy are becoming increasingly important. ReMaP, a novel research platform, aims to investigate these urgent issues under realistic conditions.
Which particulate air pollution poses the greatest health risk?
The composition of particulate matter can influence its harmfulness to human health just as much as the amount, PSI researchers show in a newly published study. Experiments and computational modelling showed that in Europe high concentrations of particulate matter harmful to human health occur mainly in metropolitan areas.
Clean biogas for a successful energy transition
PSI researchers have set up camp at a biogas plant near Lucerne. Between meadows and gigantic fermenters, they are investigating how they can remove impurities from the biogas to make this energy source even more usable.
Iodic acid influences cloud formation at the North Pole
An international team of scientists has identified a novel driver of new aerosol particle formation in the Arctic: iodic acid, a chemical compound, which had not previously been observed in the region.
"We were shocked how far advanced the melting is already"
An international expedition with the participation of the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI discovers advanced glacial melting at an elevation of more than 4,000 metres on the Grand Combin in Valais. In the Alps, it may almost be too late for the Ice Memory project, which aims to save ice cores as a climate archive for future generations of researchers.
