- Electrochaea completed the EIC Accelerator program after three years.
- The company received €2.485M grant and €14.975M equity investment.
- The Danish Energy Agency contributed €9.5M for hydrogen production.
- Synthetic methane is produced using archaea converting green hydrogen and CO2.
Project Overview
Electrochaea, a power-to-gas company, has completed the EIC Accelerator program, co-funded by the European Innovation Council. The program supports innovative companies in bringing products to market. Electrochaea was one of 64 selected from over 2,000 applicants in 2021.
Technology and Process
The company developed a technology to produce synthetic methane, a CO2-neutral energy source that can replace fossil natural gas. This methane can be stored and transported using the existing gas grid. The process involves using archaea microorganisms to convert green hydrogen and recycled CO2 into synthetic methane in bioreactors.
Funding and Investment
Electrochaea received a €2.485 million grant and a €14.975 million equity investment, enabling them to scale their biomethanation technology to an industrial scale with a 10 MWe archetype design. The Danish Energy Agency also provided €9.5 million to expand hydrogen production.
Implementation and Benefits
The new archetype design will be integrated into the BioCat-Roslev project in Denmark, enhancing the existing biogas upgrading and grid-injection plant. The funding allowed Electrochaea to optimize plant design, reducing CAPEX and OPEX for customers. Significant progress was made in approval processes, technology integration, and business model optimization during the funding period.
Future Prospects
With the program's completion, Electrochaea is positioned to commercialize its technology and advance renewable methane production. The project demonstrates the company's capability to develop innovative and sustainable energy solutions.
