I.C.I CALDAIE SPA

Their core work

I.C.I Caldaie is an Italian boiler and thermal systems manufacturer based near Verona that has expanded deeply into clean energy technologies. They design and build industrial steam boilers, heat exchangers, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems, with growing involvement in hydrogen-compatible fuel cell integration, power-to-X conversion, and CO2 capture. Their core business — thermal energy equipment — gives them a practical manufacturing base from which they participate in EU research on next-generation fuels, membrane reactors, and flexible power plant operation. They bring real-world hardware engineering and system integration capabilities to research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), I.C.I Caldaie focused on core thermal equipment — biogas-to-hydrogen reforming, fuel cell heat exchangers, and smart steam boilers — staying close to their established manufacturing expertise. From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted markedly toward chemical process engineering: CO2 utilisation, catalytic membrane reactors, power-to-X conversion, gasification, and flexible multi-fuel systems. This evolution shows a company moving from being a hardware supplier in energy projects to becoming a process integration partner for complex decarbonisation and fuel-switching technologies.

I.C.I Caldaie is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrogen, ammonia, and CO2-based fuels — expect them to pursue projects on industrial decarbonisation and alternative fuel combustion systems.

How they like to work

Overwhelmingly a participant (10 of 11 projects), with only one coordination — their ECOVAPOR boiler project, which was closest to their core product. They operate in large consortia (102 unique partners across 20 countries), suggesting they are valued as an industrial integration partner who brings manufacturing reality to research-heavy teams. Their wide but non-repeating partner network indicates they are sought after by diverse consortia rather than locked into a single research cluster.

They have collaborated with 102 unique partners across 20 countries, giving them one of the broader networks for an SME of their size. Their reach spans most of the EU, with no obvious geographic concentration beyond a likely Italian anchor.

What sets them apart

Unlike pure research institutes working on fuel cells or hydrogen, I.C.I Caldaie is an actual manufacturer of thermal and boiler systems — they can take lab-scale innovations and test them in real industrial hardware. This makes them an ideal partner for projects that need to demonstrate technology at pilot or pre-commercial scale. Their unusual breadth — spanning SOFC, hydrogen, ammonia combustion, CO2 conversion, and gasification — makes them a versatile integration partner for nearly any clean energy consortium.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MACBETH
  Largest single project by funding (EUR 1.48M to I.C.I), focused on catalytic membrane reactors — signals their growing role in advanced chemical process equipment.
• FLEXnCONFU
  Second-largest funding (EUR 1.2M), addressing power-to-hydrogen and ammonia combustion in combined cycle plants — represents their push into next-generation flexible power systems.
• ECOVAPOR
  Their only coordinated project, directly developing a smart low-emission steam boiler — the clearest window into their core commercial product and R&D ambition.