HERC Chip for More Efficient Natural Gas Based Industrial Heating Systems

Programme(s)
H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Topic(s) EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 - SME instrument

Call for proposal H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1

Funding Scheme SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Grant agreement ID: 868553

Objective
Natural gas is growingly the main energy source for most industrial processes. As the amount of annual GHG emissions is expected to rise 50% by 2040, even the most sophisticated emission control or combustion technologies will struggle to tame this increase. Thus, most European industries face major challenges regardless of future mitigation commitments, including increased competition with other regions that have competitive advantages through lower cost fuels or carbon taxes. Reducing GHG emissions comes down to combustion efficiency. It is very difficult to achieve combustion efficiencies above 90% with current industrial boiler systems. Efenco has developed a proprietary plasma assisted technology that makes combustion more efficient and environmentally friendly. The technology uses small and robust multilayer devices to harvest waste heat from the combustion chamber to create plasma without additional energy, resulting in lower fuel usage and reduced emissions as less fuel is burned to achieve the same energy output. Our cost-effective technology is mainly meant for retrofitting existing combustion boilers in industrial heating systems. Our primary target group (end-users) include industrial operators with natural gas based heating systems that have a heat power capacity greater than 1 megawatt (MW). Currently, there are an estimated 50 000 systems in Europe meeting this criterion. We address the global combustion controls, equipment and systems market, estimated to reach over €132 billion by 2025. By scaling up rapidly, our objective is to reach €40 million in sales by 2024. During the Phase-1 project, Efenco will conduct a comprehensive feasibility study that includes both commercialisation and technical aspects of the innovation. In a more long-term view we are working with Safran, a high-tech industrial group, to potentially offer our technology in the global turbofan engines market.