NI firm aims to grow its 36-strong team to more than 130 in two years

At a launch event at its headquarters in Titanic Quarter, attendees from local government, industry and infrastructure were invited to see the new patent-protected prototypes.

The net zero emissions and air quality technology company also officially launched ClimaHtech, the brand under which it will now go to market.

In early 2022 Catagen received five funding awards from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio to help accelerate research and testing of its range of net zero products.

Using the funding, they have developed new ways to generate green hydrogen, bio-hydrogen and e-fuels, as well as complementary systems for carbon capture and hydrogen compression.

Green hydrogen and e-fuels can be used to replace fossil fuels in several key sectors, including manufacturing, transport, power, mobility and agriculture.

Having delivered prototypes for each of its technologies, Catagen is on track to deliver full-scale demonstrators in 2024 and plans to scale the business significantly in the next three to five years.

Catagen CEO Dr Andrew Woods, said: “Climate change affects everything. It’s shaping cities, economies, landscapes, how we move and how we live. We are creating new technologies that clean and decarbonise the air, applying our innovations to decarbonising challenging sectors such as industry, shipping, and aviation. We are committed to finding a collective solution that will cut CO2 emissions and enable a move away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources.

“Technology, talent, and a united sense of purpose have taken us to the point where today our team can launch ClimaHtech, a configurable system which uses advanced climate technologies to produce green hydrogen and efuels. This technology is scalable and by adopting efficient green hydrogen energy powered by renewable sources such as wind and solar, we can help fulfil net zero pledges across multi sector industries.”

Catagen’s initial focus is on decarbonising industry, working with manufacturing, transportation and renewable energy companies to provide a new source of renewable energy and improve air quality.

Mannok, one of the UK and Ireland’s most diverse and experienced manufacturers of construction products is one of the first companies to explore how Catagen’s technology can support their decarbonisation journey.

Kevin Lunney, operations director of Mannok Build, explained: “Decarbonisation of our operations, including cement production is a significant challenge. The Mannok board has commissioned Catagen to develop a feasibility study to understand the benefits of integrating Catagen’s hydrogen production and e-fuel production techniques using waste heat from the cement manufacturing process to reduce emissions.”

Catagen is in the process of growing its 36-strong team to 75 over the next year, with the intention of increasing the workforce to more than 130 the following year.

Catagen CTO Prof. Roy Douglas, added: “Catagen’s mission is to clean and decarbonise the air and our team has shown real ingenuity to develop these prototypes and put us on a dedicated path to delivering industrial-scale system solutions. We are seeing demand for these innovations across manufacturing, electricity, agriculture and transportation but there are steps to take to make our climate technology system a mass deployed commercial reality.

“Industry has to change and has to become cleaner, cutting its carbon-dioxide emissions to zero.”