Germany-based startup Electrochaea is making strides in the field of renewable energies that may well revolutionize the way we store energy at utility-scales. The company has developed and is commercializing a disruptive technology that converts electric power into methane, which is the primary component of natural gas. Using carbon dioxide as the feedstock gas, power can be efficiently stored as renewable natural gas. The methane thus formed can either be used for power storage, as transportation fuels, or it can be transmitted via a natural gas network.

Founded by Mich Hein, a managing partner at Nidus, a St. Louis investment group specializing in renewable energy, Electrochaea’s solution covers three vital areas: utility-scale energy storage, grid balancing, and carbon reuse. Their innovative process converts low-cost and stranded electricity and carbon dioxide into pipeline-grade renewable gas. Named “power-to-gas”, this conversion process aims to optimize the role of natural gas in a sustainable and balanced energy sector.