the research consultancy for energy technologies

Company Diligence

  • Aker Carbon Capture: technology review?

    Aker Carbon Capture: technology review?

    Aker Carbon Capture is a public company, listed in Norway, with c120 permanent employees. It has developed novel solvents for post-combustion carbon capture, modular CCS plants (JustCatch, at 40-100kTpa, and BigCatch at >400kTpa). The company aims to secure contracts for 10MTpa of CCS by 2025. This technology review looks for a moat in the patents.

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  • Membrane Technology and Research: CCS breakthrough?

    Membrane Technology and Research: CCS breakthrough?

    Membrane Technology and Research Inc. (MTR) is a private company, specializing in membrane separations, for the energy industry, chemicals and increasingly, CCS. Its Gen 2-3 Polaris membranes have 50x CO2:N2 selectivity, 2,000-3,000 GPU permeabilities, and are at TRL 6-7. Is there a moat?

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  • Boston Metal: molten oxide electrolysis of steel?

    Boston Metal: molten oxide electrolysis of steel?

    Boston Metal aims to decarbonize steel, using molten oxide electrolysis, absorbing 4MWH/ton of steel. This data-file is a Boston Metal technology review, based on assessing 55 patents across 3 families. We were unable to de-risk the technology. A key challenge is conveying current into the cell, as it operates around 1,600C, which is above the…

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  • Amprius: silicon anode technology review?

    Amprius: silicon anode technology review?

    Amprius is commercializing a lithium-ion battery with a near-100% silicon anode, yielding 80% higher energy density. It can achieve 80% charge within 6-minutes. The company is listed on NYSE. We have reviewed Amprius’ silicon anode technology. The patent library is excellent, goes back to 2009 and has locked upon a specific design. This allows us…

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  • NEL: green hydrogen technology review?

    NEL: green hydrogen technology review?

    NEL is a green hydrogen technology company, headquartered in Oslo, listed on the Oslo Børs since 2014, and employing 575 people. It has manufactured 3,500 electrolyser units, going back to 1927, historically weighted to alkaline electrolysers, and increasingly focused on PEMs and hydrogen fuelling stations. This NEL technology review explores its patents.

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  • Verbio: bio-energy technology review?

    Verbio: bio-energy technology review?

    Verbio is a bio-energy company, founded in 2006, listed in Germany, producing bio-diesel, bioethanol, biogas, glycerin and fertilizers. The company has stated “we want to be in a position to convert anything that agriculture can deliver to energy”. Our Verbio technology review is based on its patents. We find some fascinating innovations in cold mash…

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  • Hillcrest: ZVS inverter breakthrough?

    Hillcrest: ZVS inverter breakthrough?

    Hillcrest Energy Technologies is developing an ultra-efficient SiC inverter, which has 30-70% lower switching losses, up to 15% lower system cost, weight, size, and thus interesting applications in electric vehicles. How does it work and can we de-risk the technology?

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  • NET Power: gas-fired power with inherent CO2 capture?

    NET Power: gas-fired power with inherent CO2 capture?

    Our NET Power technology review shows over ten years of progress, refining the design of efficient power generation cycles using CO2 as the working fluid. The patents show a moat around several aspects of the technology. And six challenges at varying stages of de-risking.

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  • Goldwind: frequency response from wind turbines?

    Goldwind: frequency response from wind turbines?

    Goldwind is one of the largest wind turbine manufacturers in the world, headquartered in Beijing, and shares are publicly listed. The wind industry is increasingly aiming to mimic the inertia and frequency responses of synchronous power generators. Goldwind has published some interesting case studies. Hence we have reviewed its patents to see if we can…

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  • Jetti Resources: copper leaching breakthrough?

    Jetti Resources: copper leaching breakthrough?

    Jetti Resources has developed a breakthrough technology to recover copper from low-grade sulfide ores, by leaching with sulphuric acid, thiocarbonyls, ferric iron (III) sulphates and oxidizing bacteria. The patents lock up the technology, with detailed experimental data. But what are the costs of copper production, what CO2 intensity and what technical challenges remain?

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