Shifting Waste Heat from Problem to Power

Introduction

While our planet faces huge challenges to meet fossil-free energy supply, we waste 70% of all produced energy as heat. This not only has a direct impact on the carbon footprint and costs of operation in energy-intensive industries, but also on thermal pollution to the local environment.

Market Overview

The waste heat recovery systems that make up a $55.2B market are not economically viable below 90°C. This is the gap ZIGRID aims to fill with a patented unique volumetric solution that can produce electricity from heat flows as low as 90-60°C.

Technology Description

At the heart of our technology is the 25 kW power module with a unique and robust thermodynamic cycle, which is insensitive to variations in the energy flow. This enables the most efficient low-grade waste heat recovery to date, producing as little as 4.3 grCO2/kWh.

Power modules are connected to each other to produce electricity in cascading steps and are connected to an IoT platform. This allows the user to gain access to 360° business insights on electricity production.

Business Model

Together, these features make ZIGRID ideal for electricity production in power and processing industries. The ZIGRID-as-a-Service business model aims to de-risk the investment for the user by monetizing customer savings on:

1. Power consumption
2. CO2 emission tariffs
3. Grid tariffs
4. Avoided cooling costs

This model maintains product ownership with ZIGRID, thus avoiding customer decision inertia and enabling the direct sales of ZIGRID power modules, allowing us to reach profitable operations as early as 2028.

Funding Request

We are requesting €2.5M in grant funding and €9M in equity from the EIC in order to:

• Test the different size configurations of the power module
• Assess its functionalities in real environments with end users from the hydrogen and paper and pulp industries
• Enhance our IP protection

Funding from the EIC will allow us to address the recovery of 37,000 TWh of low-grade waste heat, resulting in the saving of 40 tons of CO2/year and approximately 150 MWh of electricity produced, representing a tangible investment opportunity.