29: From Ancient Organism to Renewable Energy Superhero: Electrochaea Synthesis of Synthetic Methane

SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs

In this episode of SustainNOW, Doris Hafenbradl, CTO of Electrochaea, shares her groundbreaking work harnessing the power of archaea to create sustainable bio-methane. Doris, a passionate scientist with a background in biotech and pharmaceuticals, has spent over a decade exploring how ancient organisms like archaea can revolutionize energy production.

Electrochaea leverages methanogenic archaea to convert renewable energy and carbon dioxide into synthetic methane, a crucial energy product compatible with existing gas infrastructure. This innovative process not only helps mitigate harmful CO2 emissions but also creates a reliable energy source from renewable sources like wind and solar.

Doris explains the technology behind Electrochaea, which involves using renewable hydrogen to interact with CO2 in bioreactors where archaea produce methane. This process can significantly reduce carbon emissions while producing clean, grid-compatible energy. The episode also dives into the company’s current projects, including feasibility studies in Denmark, the USA, and Canada, and the plans for future expansion.

With the world facing an energy crisis, Electrochaea offers a promising solution that could play a pivotal role in moving away from fossil fuels toward a more sustainable energy future. Doris discusses the challenges of scaling this technology, the potential for upscaling, and the future of energy.

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1. 29: From Ancient Organism to Renewable Energy Superhero: Electrochaea Synthesis of Synthetic Methane (00:00:00)

2. Tell us about Electrochaea (00:03:51)

3. What problem does Electrochaea solve? (00:04:23)

4. Can this replace fossil fuel use? (00:08:26)

5. How does Electrochaea utilize carbon capture? (00:10:27)

6. Where would Electrochaea plants be located? (00:11:55)

7. How many pilot plants do you have installed? (00:13:55)

8. What are the steps of the Electrochaea process? (00:18:25)

9. Does the CO2 need to be purified? (00:21:10)

10. What is the output of the plant? (00:23:19)

11. How much can this power? (00:25:00)

12. How much energy is needed t create the synthetic methane? (00:26:15)

13. How does the cost compare to natural gas use? (00:29:00)

14. What are the costs of integrating this to current plants? (00:34:00)

15. What are the biggest challenges with upscaling? (00:35:00)

16. What does your next 24 months look like? (00:37:30)

17. Where do you see Electrochaea in 10 years? (00:41:00)

18. How big is the natural gas market in Europe? (00:42:00)

19. What made you join this company? (00:43:00)

20. If you look back on this year, what is the biggest lesson you learned and what was the biggest surprise? (00:45:00)

21. How can people contact you? (00:46:46)

22. What makes you confident that we can solve the climate crisis? (00:47:30)