Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the energy industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked biorefinery solutions.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Biorefinery Solutions out of 308
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2.093.000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 308 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 biorefinery startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 303 biorefinery solutions, get in touch.
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PyroGenesys advances Pyrolysis
Biomass waste is largely an untapped source of clean and renewable energy. Biorefineries take heterogeneous waste as input to produce energy in the form of electricity or syngas and valuable byproducts. Likewise, energy startups are creating technologies to convert biomass into bioenergy. For instance, pyrolysis involves thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen to break down organic material.
PyroGenesys is a British startup that develops integrated energy from waste technology. Its pyrolysis technology, Pyrochemy, uses high heat to convert agricultural waste into electricity and biofuels. This reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture while providing a solution for small-scale energy generation. The startup’s technology is easy to deploy and provides off-grid energy, focusing on the sub-Saharan region.
NextFuel offers Biomass Torrefaction
Coal still finds application in processes like electricity generation and steel production. Biomass is an alternative but offers low energy density than coal. However, biomass torrefaction converts biomass into a material with similar properties as coal. This technology allows bioenergy companies to produce high-energy-density biofuels. Torrefied pellets also provide higher bulk density, grindability, and durability compared to biomass.
Swedish startup NextFuel provides biomass torrefaction technology. The startup’s solution utilizes fast-growing and carbon-rich grass to produce briquettes, a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. It also takes in other biomass sources such as bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane juice production, and wood. NextFuel’s torrefaction process also features built-in heat exchange that improves conversion efficiency and, thus, scalability.
DualMetha provides Methanization Technology
Startups leverage anaerobic digestion (AD) technologies to convert biomass into biogas. Although a cleaner source of energy, biogas has lower calorific content than natural gas due to it being rich in carbon dioxide. This is why bioenergy startups are optimizing AD technologies to increase methane content in biogas. Biomethane finds use directly as syngas or for the production of electricity or bioethanol.
DualMetha is a French startup that develops methanization technology. Its technology combines a discontinuous dry process and a continuous liquid process to optimize the AD process. The startup converts any type of organic matter into biogas. In addition to lowering emissions from decaying organic matter, it provides digestate that is a replacement for toxic fertilizers.
ENTRENCO utilizes Gasification
The heterogeneous nature of biomass and low calorific value of biofuels lower the profitability of biorefineries. To overcome this, energy startups are building integrated biorefineries that combine multiple processes and produce a combination of products. For instance, gasification uses high temperatures and controlled oxygen to transform biomass into syngas and heat. This presents an inexpensive method of on-site renewable energy generation.
German startup ENTRENCO offers a combined heat and power (CHP) solution. The startup’s patented technology utilizes uniform, finely controlled gasification to achieve high efficiency in converting biomass into heat and power. Currently working with wood pellets and chips, the startup is also testing other biomass materials in varying ratios. Further, ENTRENCO’s biorefinery solution uses filtration to eliminate any carbon dioxide emissions.
Biomass Controls facilitates Wastewater-to-Energy
Wastewater streams need to be treated before they flow into water bodies. Additionally, wastewaters are rich in many valuable products, including organic matter. In recent years, startups are utilizing biorefinery technologies to treat wastewater, with or without solid biomass. By converting waste to energy, such solutions advance both clean energy and the circular economy.
US-based startup Biomass Controls provides a wastewater-to-energy solution. The startup’s biogenic refinery uses thermal treatment to kill pathogens in wastewater and convert it into biochar, heat, and electricity. The heat produced is further diverted for pasteurization, drying feedstock, or electricity generation. The biorefineries also have a smaller footprint and modular design, making them easily deployable for off-grid energy production.
Discover more Energy Startups
Energy startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on pyrolysis, biomass torrefaction, methanization as well as gasification. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the energy industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more energy technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Energy Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
