Member - Energo

ENERGO is a technology development company, which designs and builds a new generation of chemical reactor to produce green chemistry and meet future demand for zero carbon. Its patented technology emerged from PSL research laboratories, involves the combination of a non-thermal DBD cold plasma, and a heterogeneous catalyst, providing plasma-catalysis conversion of molecular products in gaseous form into gaseous or liquid molecular products with high added value. ENERGO's technology has achieved a TRL 7 for CO2 methanation with a semi-industrial demonstrator in operation since August 2021, which is a world first. It is worth noting that ENERGO was the first company in France to inject syngas into the grid in July 2022. After the successful scale-up of ENERGO’s technology, it is clear nowadays that plasma catalysis is an emerging way to do green chemistry. This innovative technology has a wide range of applications and can produce several molecules of interest (hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, liquid fuels, and fine chemicals (olefins, oxygenates, alcohols, ketones, acids...) offering several advantages over conventional technologies, whilst maintaining the same catalytic reactor structure. These molecules are mainly produced from CO2 stemming from local sources such as biogas and would not only result in a negative carbon footprint but also could solve the long-distance supply chain problem. In addition, it not only increases the catalytic and energy performance of each application, but also meets the current challenges of decarbonization by reducing the environmental impact, costs (CAPEX and OPEX) and risks of industrial units, thanks to the following advantages Operation at atmospheric pressure and moderate temperature. Catalyst volume at least 50 times smaller than that used in conventional reactors. Resistance to most pollutants, such as oxygen, moisture, or VOCs (volatile organic compounds), thus reducing the need for pre-treatment. Rapid cold start in seconds. Production of high-value molecules in a single pass. Very low reactor volume required (compact process + low catalyst cost) Very high efficiency (an energy consumption of less than 1% compared to that produced). Facing climate and geopolitical challenges, ENERGO aims to contribute its expertise and technological know-how to develop innovative solutions for the future that are simultaneously more affordable and more responsible. At the beginning of next year, ENERGO will build other demonstrators to prove the validity and relevance of its technology for the synthesis of all these new molecules of interest. The first one will be dedicated to the conversion of CO2 into methane (300kW capacity) and the second one, will be our own chemical plant that can produce 20t/month of green chemicals from a biogas plant. From a market perspective, we are targeting 3 main markets where our technology can offer major advantages over conventional or green technologies in terms of carbon footprint (SCOPE 1/2/3) and molecule production cost. These latter are as follows: - Methane production from waste: ENERGO's methanation process can be used to valorize plastic or wood waste by combining its technology with gasification, which produces syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, from which methane can then be produced. - Green H2 production from ammonia synthesized by photovoltaic energy in sunny regions of the world such as the Sahara and then transported by ship to Europe. ENERGO's technology provides compact units that facilitate transportation and decentralization of consumption. - Green chemistry production: local synthesis of chemical platform molecules from biogas plant required by the chemical industry at low cost.