How a German deep-tech start-up wants to redefine the future of fuel
Interview with ICODOS on e-methanol production for climate-neutral industries
We are ICODOS - an innovative technology company from Germany that emerged from research at the renowned Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Our interdisciplinary team of engineers, scientists and business experts has set itself the task of supporting industry - especially the shipping and chemical sectors - in the transition to a carbon-neutral future.
David Strittmatter, Co-Founder and David Strittmatter, Commercial Director of ICODOS.
ICODOS GmbH
What challenge is the start-up solving? What is your big vision?
Our goal is to solve the pressing challenge of replacing fossil methanol production with a cost-efficient, scalable and CO₂-neutral e-methanol technology. This innovative solution can enable the transition to green fuels in hard-to-decarbonize industries and make a significant contribution to achieving EU climate targets.
How did you come up with the idea?
The idea arose from groundbreaking research results at KIT. A new, patented hybrid process was developed there that combines CO₂ capture and methanol synthesis in a dynamic, continuous process - a concept that paved the way for revolutionary e-methanol production.
What was your development process like? What were the biggest challenges and setbacks? What were the biggest successes?
Our development process took place in several stages: We started in the lab (TRL 4), then set up a fully automated pilot plant in Karlsruhe at KIT (TRL 6) and are now scaling up with a demonstration plant in Paris (TRL 7). The biggest challenges were scaling up the technology and integrating a flexible, energy-optimized process that can react to fluctuations in renewable energy. One of our greatest successes is proving that our approach is significantly more energy-efficient and cost-effective than the state of the art - a fact that is further reinforced by numerous strategic partnerships and investment commitments.
What was the reaction from the market and the industry?
The response from the market and the industry has been extremely positive. Numerous well-known players from the shipping and chemical industries have shown interest in our technology - which is reflected in several declarations of intent, partnerships and funding commitments.
Would you go down this path again - or is there anything you would do differently?
When we look back on our path, we would basically go down it again, as it has brought us important insights and a breakthrough in technology development. Perhaps we could have scaled up even faster in some areas - for example in our early collaboration with industrial partners such as BASF - in order to further accelerate our market entry.
What can others learn from your start-up story?
Above all, other founders can learn from our story how important close interdisciplinary collaboration, continuous iteration from the laboratory scale to the pilot phase and the establishment of strategic partnerships are in order to successfully scale a deep-tech concept and convince the market.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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