Project description
Finalising a promising solution for vast renewable methane production
Decarbonising natural gas through bio-e-methanation is a key approach for the European energy transition. The final product of this process is 'e-methane', a natural gas equivalent. After having been the first company worldwide to validate their biological methanation technology in industrial prototypes that turn CO2 into e-methane, Electrochaea will make the final step for its launch. The EU-funded Echaea project will prepare a Power-to-Methane solution for its marketisation. This entirely biogenic e-fuel is the ideal energy solution for across sectors, transportation, power generation, or industrial heating.
Objective
The decarbonisation of natural gas – the biggest energy import product into the EU today – through the production of renewable methane from bio-e-methanation (“e-methane”), a natural gas equivalent, is one of the cornerstones of the European energy transition. Our highly productive microorganism strain and pressure bioreactor design carry the potential to solve the challenge of providing cost-effective large-scale energy storage and a multi-purpose e-fuel. Echaea are the only company worldwide to have validated a biological methanation technology in industrial prototypes that turn CO2 into e-methane, using curtailed renewable power, and storing it in existing gas grids. The fully biogenic e-fuel can be used across sectors, for transportation, power generation or industrial heating. Our technology has shown to produce grid-quality e-methane in a continuous process at a 1MW scale (Biofos, DK Solothurn, CH) and now needs to be scaled up to commercial size. The EIC grant funded project will de-risk Echaea’s Power-to-Methane solution to market-readiness. Subsequently we will build a full 10MWe commercial demonstration plant at Roslev, Denmark, funded by the EIC equity facility.
Once industrial operations have been demonstrated, the technology is ready for international roll-out. Expressions of interest for 12 10MWe plants have already been received. We have assessed a market potential today of around 500 biological methanation plants and of 5,000 in the EU, more around the world, by 2050. Green Deal impact: One 10MW plant will convert 5,700 mt of CO2 a year and produce 2,8m Nm3 e-methane, sufficient to heat 2,400 homes. By 2050, this technology could convert 0.8% of annual CO2 released in the EU. Echaea is a venture-backed company and co-led by a female executive, Doris Hafenbradl. A multi-disciplinary team of 33 employees is pursuing the mission of becoming the global leader for renewable methane production at scale.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation bioreactors
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fossil energy natural gas
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry aliphatic compounds
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
82152 Planegg
Germany
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.