The Keep Cool Podcast *LIVE SHOW* E71: Scaling highly versatile biogas tech, with Stephan Herrmann, CEO of Reverion, and Sebastian Heitmann, Co-Founder and Partner at Extantia Capital.
Description: Stephan Herrmann, Co-founder & CEO of Reverion, and Sebastian Heitmann, Co-Founder and Partner at Extantia Capital—an investor in deep decarbonization technologies—joined Nick for a live discussion in New York City to explore breakthroughs in Reverion’s biogas energy technologies and discuss the state of energy and climate tech in general across the world. Reverion is redefining biogas, enabling up to 5x revenue additions for biogas plant operators by converting excess renewable energy into green gas, all while enhancing grid stability.
In this episode, the trio discusses the following:
- Biogas Tech Evolution: Biogas has evolved beyond traditional combustion engines, with Reverion integrating fuel cells and electrolysis to maximize efficiencies. Reverion’s tech enables biogas plants to operate when renewable power is scarce and then flip on a dime to produce green methane when there’s an excess of renewable power, transforming downtime into additional revenue and benefits for other stakeholders from the plant to the grid.
- The Role of Biogas in a Decentralized Grid: As power grids shift to include more intermittent sources like wind and solar, biogas offers dispatchable energy that can balance grid demands. Stephan and Sebastian explain the unique benefits of Reverion’s solution and how it can help meet the needs of modern, dynamic energy systems.
- Market Fit and Commercialization: Stephan shares his journey from PhD research to piloting the first plants and securing customer interest across Europe and beyond. Reverion is now poised to expand across markets, including the U.S., where biogas remains an underutilized resource.
- Diverse Climate Impact and Benefits: Reverion’s systems offer not just power but pure CO₂ streams for carbon capture and utilization. This positions it as part of the bioenergy ecosystem alongside solutions like biogas carbon capture and storage (BECCS). Versatility is a crucial strategy for business building or climate outcomes, like reducing carbon dioxide and methane emissions and producing dispatchable clean energy for a resilient power grid.
- Broader Climate Tech Landscape: Nick and the guests wrap up with a discussion on geothermal, carbon capture, geological hydrogen, and much more, including the macroeconomic environment and the outlook for energy and climate tech solutions.
Listen in for insights on balancing innovation, energy demands, a changing world, and expanding climate solutions globally.
Timestamps:
00:02:07 - Live Podcast from Climate Week NYC
00:03:07 - Guest Introductions
00:04:14 - Stephan's Journey to Reverian
00:07:35 - Extantia Capital
00:10:12 - Technical Overview of Fuel Cells
00:13:41 - Market Applications of Fuel Cells
00:16:59 - Summary of Energy Grid Transition
00:20:10 - Introduction to Biogas
00:24:20 - Importance of Methane Emissions
00:25:50 - Reversion’s Commercialization Journey
00:28:00 - Technical Components of Reverian's System
00:33:35 - Hydrogen and Methane Production
00:36:39 - Series A Fundraising
00:39:44 - Audience Q&A: Logistics and Transportation
00:45:08 - Audience Q&A: Ideal Customer Locations
00:46:26 - Audience Q&A: Efficiency Comparison
00:48:18 - Audience Q&A: Green Ammonia Production
Learn more about Reverion here: https://reverion.com/
…and Extantia Capital here: https://extantia.com/
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