Follow the Group's Financial information at 30 September 2020 - On Friday, November 13th 2020 from 9:00 am (Paris time).
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Warm air, cold air and steam: lots of energy losses from industrial processes. This valuable thermal resource remains under-exploited. European industrial plants waste around 930 TWh of heat every year; the amount of energy generated by 100 nuclear reactors.
Water Horizon has developed a technology to address this problem in the form of a reversible and mobile thermal battery that recovers and transports waste heat. In other words, the process makes it possible to recover heating and/or cooling resources off-site and between production facilities. Data centres, petrochemical plants and food processing facilities all generate high demand for cooling. The thermal battery is delivered by truck in response to demand for short- and long-term energy supply.
The Grand Jury recognised the importance of this project and awarded it the 3rd Jury prize.
Category: CO2 Neutral Territories
Between them, Jean-Emmanuel Faure, Patrick Lemaitre and Eric-Jean Pankowski cover a wide spectrum of skills, from fluid mechanics to product industrialisation and marketing.
Contact themIt was a visit to the Toulouse wastewater treatment plant that got us thinking. The treated sludge produced by the plant generates a phenomenal amount of heat that has no use in this industrial process. And it didn’t take us long to identify the central issues: all types of industry generate waste heat, often with no solution for recovering that heat. So how could we recover and re-use the hot air expelled by ventilation fans or data servers? On the other hand, district heating networks, shopping centres and cool warehouses all have enormous energy input requirements. There was therefore a resource and a demand, but it took us a few years of studying the problem before arriving at the solution offered by our thermal battery, which redistributes stored heat as heating or cooling.
We’ll be laboratory-testing one of our prototypes this December as part of our partnership with EDF subsidiary Dalkia.
Like a lot of start-ups, we began with very few resources. So our ambition to create an industrial start-up soon ran out of funding. We built the first prototype in one of our parents’ garage, which came with its own hazards... and led to us moving into the garden shed! Back then, we spent so much time in the local DIY store that we were on kissing terms with the checkout staff.
Water Horizon brings industry and environment together by converting industrial waste heat into a renewable energy source. The synergy we’ve created delivers a direct response to two key challenges of the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement. On the one hand, we’re helping industrial companies to engage effectively with the energy transition. On the other, we’re also making a colossal amount of renewable energy accessible to those who need it. The fact that our technology is reversible, and especially its ability to distribute renewable cooling, makes it possible for us to reach out to consumers that are currently frowned upon for their environmental impact - data centres, for example - but need solutions.
This AI robot travels through water pipes to detect faults and makes it possible to organise repair of damaged sections before a leak occurs.
This small, flexible, paper-thin battery is revolutionising the market for the button batteries used in small disposable electronic devices. This smart-designed, economical and non-toxic solution is created from bio-sourced materials.
Chrysalis creates a circular carbon economy! Developed by the Earthwake start-up, this machine uses pyrolysis technology to recycle plastic waste into petrol, diesel and gas. This intentionally low-tech solution is also mobile and energy self-sufficient.
eBikePort is shaping new horizons for our cities. This self-powered multi-functional charging station serves electric bikes, scooters and smartphones, offers free WiFi and secure lockers for personal property.
Self-powered from the magnetic field generated by overhead transmission lines, these smart sensor devices can analyse the power supply grid to detect problems and considerably reduce maintenance costs, avoiding the use of millions of batteries.
Small and easily attached to any tools, InBolt modules record the movements of technicians working on industrial production lines, enabling them to apply real-time quality control.
Encouraging short food supply chains and the local economy: that’s Le Chemin des Mûres’s mission. This start-up has developed an app for food producers and suppliers. Its aim: to facilitate and reduce transport costs by pooling deliveries.
The Octopus Lab SaaS solution forecasts indoor air pollution levels, and controls building ventilation systems accordingly. The resulting air quality is guaranteed, even during spikes in CO2!
Its patented technologies make this a timely solution for dismantling and recycling the composite materials contained in decommissioned wind turbine blades. The resulting glass and carbon fibres are reused by industry to promote a circular economy.
Transition-One converts the petrol and diesel engines of city cars and vans to electric in just 4 hours. Low carbon, efficient and affordable, this technology delivers a sustainable mobility transition solution for private motorists and fleet operators.
This mobile battery recovers waste heat from industrial processes and recycles it in the form of heating or cooling wherever it is needed. An effective way of boosting the contribution made by renewables and reducing CO₂ emissions.
The intuitive tablet-equipped WeeM soundproof booth is closing the digital divide by making online official procedures accessible to everyone.
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