Imagine every power plant, factory, and biogas site constantly pumping out hot water that just gets thrown away — like leaving the tap running 24/7. The amount of waste heat produced globally each year equals 12 years of EU electricity use. Exergyn built a machine that takes that useless hot water (80–95°C) and converts it into actual electricity or mechanical power, using a special shape-memory metal called nitinol. Think of it as a tiny power plant that runs on what everyone else throws down the drain.
Most power plants, biogas facilities, and industrial sites produce enormous amounts of hot water below 120°C that is simply discarded. The amount of waste heat produced globally each year is equivalent to 12 years of EU electricity consumption. There is currently no widely adopted commercial solution to capture and convert this low-grade waste heat into usable power — the dominant alternative, ORC technology, is not considered commercially viable for this temperature range by industry players.
Exergyn built the Epsilon-1 Pilot Prototype — a fully operational engine that converts low-grade waste heat (80–95°C water) into mechanical or electrical power using nitinol shape-memory alloy. The prototype was validated and declared ready for industrial trialling, with a production design targeting 35 x 10kW units per month.
If you are a biogas plant operator dealing with waste heat that your facility generates 24/7 but never monetizes — this project developed the Exergyn Drive, a 10kW engine that converts your low-grade waste heat (80–95°C) into electricity. With 7,000+ biogas sites mapped across Europe and a projected 3-year payback, this could turn your thermal waste stream into a new revenue line.
If you are a CHP or district heating operator struggling with low conversion efficiency and residual heat below 120°C — this project built a drive system that captures that leftover thermal energy and converts it to power. The technology targets water temperatures as low as 80°C, a range where competing ORC systems are not considered commercially viable by industry players.
If you are managing industrial processes that continuously discharge hot water or steam below 120°C — the Exergyn Drive was designed to slot into your existing thermal loop and extract usable power from what you currently cool and discard. The system targets mass production at 35 units per month, meaning it could scale across multiple discharge points in a single facility.
The project data states a 3-year payback period for the 10kW Exergyn Drive. Exact unit pricing is not published, but the system was designed for low-cost mass production at 35 units per month, suggesting competitive pricing against alternatives like ORC.
The production target was 35 x 10kW units per month. For larger installations, multiple units could be deployed in parallel. The Epsilon-1 pilot prototype was validated and built to be ready for industrial trialling.
Exergyn holds patented technology for the Drive. The project specifically included strengthening international IP protection against competitors. Licensing or purchase arrangements would need to be discussed directly with Exergyn Limited in Ireland.
The project explicitly states that Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology, the closest competitor, is not considered a commercial solution by players in the market for low-grade waste heat below 120°C. The Exergyn Drive was designed specifically for this temperature range where ORC struggles.
The system is designed for low-grade waste heat defined as water below 120°C, typically in the 80–95°C range. This is the temperature band most commonly discharged by power plants, biogas facilities, and industrial processes without being utilized.
Based on project data, a commercial-scale rollout could reduce global CO2 emissions by 700 million tonnes per year, representing approximately a 2% decrease on 2014 emission levels. Up to 5,400 direct and indirect jobs could be created across Europe.
This is a single-company project: Exergyn Limited, an Irish SME, received the full €2,483,053 in EU funding under the SME Instrument Phase 2 (SME-2). There are no university or research institute partners — the entire consortium is one private company. This means all IP, know-how, and commercial rights sit with Exergyn. For a potential buyer or licensee, this simplifies negotiations considerably: there is one decision-maker, one entity to contract with, and no multi-partner IP complexity. However, the lack of academic or institutional partners also means independent validation would need to come from industrial trialling rather than published peer-reviewed research.
Exergyn Limited is an Irish SME. SciTransfer can help locate the right contact for licensing or partnership discussions.
Want to explore whether the Exergyn Drive fits your waste heat profile? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the team and provide a tailored feasibility brief.
