BNEF’s annual Pioneers award recognizes changemakers across three key climate challenges working towards creating a net-zero economy
NEW YORK – April 17, 2023 – BloombergNEF (BNEF) today announced the winners of its 2023 Pioneers Award, recognizing 12 early-stage companies working to introduce technologies and products pushing the world to a net-zero global economy. This year the winners include companies developing new types of sustainable protein, finding novel routes to mine copper, eliminating CO2 emissions from steelmaking and creating technology to produce green hydrogen more cheaply – among many others.
Since the inception of the BNEF Pioneers program over a decade ago, there has been significant progress in the production and deployment of technologies and solutions designed to decarbonize the global economy. Greenhouse gas emissions, however, are still rising and there are many urgent obstacles to overcome in order for the world to reach net-zero emissions. The BNEF Pioneers award seeks to recognize companies making strides in sectors or areas where there are still technology or innovation challenges in meeting net-zero goals. This year BNEF called for nominations from companies, nonprofits and projects that specifically addressed three climate-tech innovation areas:
1. Accelerating the deployment of clean hydrogen
2. Sustainable metals and materials for an electrified future
3. Building a net-zero food production system
Claire Curry, selection committee co-chair and global head of Technology, Industry & Innovation research at BloombergNEF, stated: “The search for new climate-technology solutions has never been as urgent. Technologies under development now must scale by 2030 if they are to play a significant role in helping reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Over the past three cycles of the Pioneers competition, we have chosen to focus on innovation areas where there are particularly large decarbonization hurdles. My belief is that our 2023 winners have the technology edge, the talent and the right support systems to play a significant role in overcoming the hurdles in scaling green hydrogen, producing sustainable metals at scale and in decarbonizing our food production system. We have now had 141 Pioneers winners since 2010, many of which have played an essential role in the energy and climate transition since their win. I look forward to seeing our 2023 winners do the same in the next decade. ”
The competition received nearly 350 applications from 42 countries. A team of lead analysts at BloombergNEF evaluated candidates against three criteria: the potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the planet, the degree of technology innovation and originality, and the likelihood of adoption and potential scalability.
“This year we received a record number of high quality and diverse candidates for the BloombergNEF Pioneers program. We are very grateful to our judges on the selection committee who had the challenge of choosing twelve winners from a strong pool of entrants,” added Benjamin Kafri, selection committee co-chair and Global Head of Innovation, Client Relations and Partnerships at BloombergNEF. “We are very encouraged by the innovation and determination shown by these Pioneers and by the impact that they could have in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. ”
The winners of the 2023 BNEF Pioneers by challenge are:
Challenge 1: Accelerating the deployment of clean hydrogen
● Mainspring Energy (US) manufactures a linear generator with fuel-flexibility that can directly run on 100% hydrogen and ammonia as well as biogas and other fuels.
● SunGreenH2 (Singapore) has developed proprietary nanostructured electrodes for all commercial electrolyzers. The novel electrodes reduce energy consumption and increase hydrogen output.
● H2Pro (Israel) has created an electrolysis system, known as E-TAC, which produces hydrogen and oxygen in two steps. This system allows the company to create hydrogen efficiently and with variable power generation.
The potential of clean hydrogen to decarbonize several sectors of the global economy is well-documented. However, the costs of producing, transporting and storing hydrogen currently exclude it from wide-scale adoption. Mainspring’s linear generator directly runs on hydrogen, ammonia, biogas and other fuels to displace fossil-fuel power generation. SunGreenH2’s proprietary electrodes improve key performance metrics for electrolysers with any chemistry, dramatically increasing hydrogen production and reducing energy consumption, and lowering precious metals usage – all while decreasing cost. H2Pro’s revolutionary E-TAC electrolyzers split water with a breakthrough energy efficiency of 95% (compared to 60-70% efficiency of conventional systems).
Challenge 2: Sustainable metals and materials for an electrified future
● Li-Cycle (Canada) provides lithium-battery recycling and resource recovery using its spoke and hub facilities. The company also creates a secondary supply of battery-grade materials.
● Jetti Resources (US) has developed a catalyst that efficiently releases copper from low-grade ores that could not previously be processed economically.
● Nth Cycle’s (US) patented metal refining transforms feedstocks, including scrap, ore and end-of-life electronics, into high-purity critical metals within a modular, commercial-scale electroextraction unit called The Oyster.
Decarbonizing sectors such as industry, transport and buildings will require a significant scaling in clean electricity production, leading to an escalation in the need for key materials such as lithium, copper, cobalt, nickel and others. The Pioneers in this category are working to increase the supply of these materials more sustainably. Li-Cycle leverages its innovative Spoke & Hub Technologies™ to provide a sustainable end-of-life solution for lithium-ion batteries and create a closed-loop battery supply chain. Jetti Resources helps deliver additional copper production rapidly, efficiently and at scale from existing mines with a reduced environmental impact. Nth Cycle processes black mass from battery recycling, producing a cathode precursor material, reducing GHG emissions by 92% compared to traditional mining.
Challenge 3: Building a net-zero food production system
● Precision AI (Canada) uses custom-built, fixed-wing drones for crop spraying. The drones use computer vision to identify and spray weeds.
● MicroHarvest (Germany) makes sustainable proteins through microbial fermentation, using feedstock derived from agricultural byproducts. The protein-containing biomass is dried to a powder and combined with other ingredients to make food products.
● FutureFeed (Australia) has patented the use of a seaweed called Asparagopsis as a livestock feed ingredient which significantly reduces methane emissions from ruminant animals.
These BNEF Pioneers work effectively to combat carbon emissions in the agriculture industry – which accounts for 23% of global greenhouse emissions – as human populations and income levels rise. Precision AI’s fixed-wing drone autonomously identifies weeds and applies herbicides accurately, reducing chemical usage by up to 95%. MicroHarvest’s microbial fermentation technology produces sustainable protein powder for use in shrimp feed, pet food and human-grade food, reducing land use by 99%. FutureFeed is licensing its patented discovery that using Asparagopsis seaweed as a livestock feed ingredient can reduce cattle methane emissions by 80% or more.
Wildcards: Organizations focused on the sectors of sustainable materials and carbon removal
● Travertine Technologies (US) has developed a novel process for carbon dioxide removal and mineralization from mining waste. The process also produces sulfuric acid which can be used to extract critical minerals.
● Sublime Systems (US) is decarbonizing cement production by using an electrochemical process to produce lime from materials other than limestone, avoiding both the CO2 process emissions and heating emissions.
● Electra (US) utilizes intermittent renewable energy and low-grade ores to produce iron at low temperatures for use in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.
The Wildcard winners are organizations working outside of this year’s three core subject areas. Travertine Technologies enables upstream producers of critical elements in the mining and agricultural sectors to minimize their chemical waste footprint while at the same time removing and permanently sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Sublime Systems replaces legacy fossil-fueled cement kilns with a proprietary electrochemical process. Electra produces high-purity, low-carbon iron at coffee temperatures for use in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking.
Talmon Marco, CEO of 2023 BNEF Pioneers winner H2Pro, said: “The BNEF Pioneer award comes at an exciting and apt moment for our company as we begin to conquer a new frontier – moving our tech to the field and scaling up for maximal impact. As we take this significant step forward, we’re thrilled to have BloombergNEF behind us and our mission .”
Learn more about the BNEF Pioneers program and winners from previous years here.
Contact:
Oktavia Catsaros
Bloomberg LP
+1-212-617-9209
ocatsaros@bloomberg.net
About Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.
About BloombergNEF
BloombergNEF (BNEF) is a strategic research provider covering global commodity markets and the disruptive technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. Our expert coverage assesses pathways for the power, transport, industry, buildings and agriculture sectors to adapt to the energy transition. We help commodity trading, corporate strategy, finance and policy professionals navigate change and generate opportunities.
Finley Engineering Company, Inc. is thrilled to announce its 70th year in business on April 16, 2023. The company, established by Fred Finley in 1953, has been providing professional engineering and consulting services to the broadband and energy indus tries for seven decades. Lamar, Missouri, remains the headquarters of Finley Engineering.
Over the years, Finley has grown to be a leading multi-disciplined organization providing professional engineering and consulting services to various industries including telecommunications, broadband, wireless, electric power transmission and distribution, gas pipeline, cable television, fiber optics, and related industries. Finley consists of a team of experienced professionals who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in serving public, private, and governmental organizations. The company's staff is committed to providing high-quality engineering, consulting and project management services to its clients and has a track record of excellence that spans seven decades.
Finley has several permanent offices across the United States, which allows the company to provide services to clients across the country efficiently. The company's goal is to continue to grow and provide excellent services to its clients while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.
As the company celebrates its 70th year in business, Finley is grateful for the support of its clients, employees, and partners. Finley looks forward to the future with excitement, and its management team is committed to maintaining the company's legacy of excellence and professionalism for many years to come. Visit us at FinleyUSA.com for more information.
Prestigious award, full-scale deployments, and new engagement platform functionality highlight 2022
Apogee Interactive, Inc., a leading provider of customer engagement and energy analysis software for utilities, announced today record performance and results for their utility clients in 2022.
Major highlights include:
• A prestigious utility industry award.
• Multiple utility pilot deployments with some of the largest IOUs in the country went full scale.
• New functionality for Apogee’s customer engagement platform.
Prestigious utility award for Personalized Video Reliability Reports
The year brought recognition from Chartwell’s well-respected EMACS awards, with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) winning the 2022 Best Practices Gold Communications Award for their use of Apogee’s Personalized Video Messaging. This marked the utility industry’s first use of Personalized Video Messaging to communicate residential reliability. The Personalized Video Reliability Reports showed each customer their electric reliability compared to the previous year. Results showed that more than half of customers had a more favorable impression of ComEd after watching the video.
Forward-looking utilities adopting and expanding the use of Apogee’s digital engagement platform
Apogee’s clients include many of the nation’s largest, most innovative, and forward-looking utilities across Investor-Owned Utilities, Municipal, and Cooperative industry segments. In 2022, utilities started pilots, upgraded subscriptions to include personalized video messaging, or decided to deploy full-scale solutions, resulting in millions of additional utility customers receiving relevant messaging as utilities see the value of proactive and personalized communications.
Recent case studies have proven that utilities partnering with Apogee in 2022 reaped the benefits of using the robust digital communications platform that provides year-round support and includes customized marketing strategies that meet and exceed their goals.
Using Apogee’s proprietary engagement and communication platform, utilities are achieving increased customer awareness, driving higher program participation, reducing high bill calls, and producing higher customer satisfaction.
During 2022, utilities using the platform have seen extraordinary results:
• 20+ million personalized messages sent
• 37 million utility programs promoted
• 10% increase in program participation
• Click-through rates averaging more than 15%
• 93%+ utility customers reported they did not need to contact the call center after receiving Apogee’s personalized video bill explanation
• Apogee’s Energy Advisor application identified $319 million in energy savings and over 1.7 million metric tons of carbon reduction.
New platform capabilities for expanded customer engagement
Apogee continued its successful decades-long communications platform expansion, including tools that educate customers on essential topics, including rate and payment options, reliability, electric vehicles, renewables, and energy efficiency programs. New functionality rolled out to existing Apogee clients in late 2022 includes Energy Monitor and an advanced EV Rate Calculator.
Jim Malcom, COO of Apogee Interactive, stated, “Apogee is pleased with the results our utility clients have seen in 2022 and are looking forward to expanding several large pilots to full scale in 2023. Our robust digital platform, customized strategy, and ongoing support has proven to be an asset for our utility clients.”
About Apogee
Apogee Interactive, Inc. is a leading provider of customer engagement services for utilities, serving the energy industry since 1993. Apogee’s customer engagement platform helps utilities establish ongoing digital relationships with customers, helping them engage and educate customers, reduce costs, achieve behavioral energy efficiency, and grow customer satisfaction. Apogee’s solution enables personalized, relevant, video-based messaging through multiple channels, drives self-service, and improves operational efficiencies through marketing automation. Apogee’s loyal client base includes Commonwealth Edison, Liberty Utilities, ConEd, Duquesne, Tampa Electric, People’s Gas, CenterPoint, Xcel Energy, LADWP, and hundreds of other IOU, municipal, cooperative, and gas utilities. For more information, visit www.apogee.net or LinkedIn.
Contact: Karen Morris kmorris@apogee.net 678-684-6801
March 7, 2022…Renton, WA - LED lighting manufacturer Evluma announces the launch of a new roadway lighting product RoadMaxTM. The RoadMax series will include three sizes: small, medium and large and a range of wattages designed to replace legacy HID 100w, 250w and 400w cobraheads. The first model in the series, the RoadMax RX1, with wattages ranging from 30W-70W and an estimated output range of 3,000 to 9,000 lumens, is estimated to start shipping at the end of April 2022.
This sleek and stylish luminaire was designed with RP-8-18 roadway requirements in mind. The unique optical design offers a combination of roadway performance and glare control unprecedented in the industry. “RoadMax is an advancement of Evluma’s reputation for low-glare, visually-pleasing outdoor lighting,” says Taisha Bezzo, National Sales Director. “RoadMax addresses contemporary concerns regarding disability glare and light trespass from roadway lighting while maintaining exceptional pole spacing.”
Multiple luminaire configurations for Type II, Type III and Type V, all with zero-uplight (U0), are offered. Additional features such as a field adjustable wattage selector (FAO), light trespass shields and a choice of photocontrol sockets are available. RoadMax can be customized to include Evluma’s Photocontrol FailsafeTM, a patented technology that solves photocontrol failures on street and area lights. Compatibility with ConnectLEDTM, Evluma’s Bluetooth app for wireless lighting controls, enables dimming and dimming schedules without the need for a network. Evluma’s comprehensive 10-year warranty and signature 20kV/10kA surge protection comes standard with every model.
For more information please contact: Cathleen Shattuck cshattuck@evluma.com
Visit: www.evluma.com
