What problem is ETAK solving for industrial energy consumers and municipalities, and why is this problem particularly urgent today?
Human society is struggling with growing volumes of solid waste, rising landfill costs, and strict emissions targets. Landfilling is no longer sustainable: it generates large amounts of methane, occupies and poisoning valuable land and air. Incineration, on the other hand, is expensive and often leads to air pollution. At the same time, relying on fossil fuels has become riskier and more expensive, with rising prices and geopolitical instability threatening energy security. These problems are urgent because the world is actively pushing for decarbonization and a circular economy. This makes the current moment ideal for deploying our technology. These challenges are especially difficult for smaller cities and industrial users that don’t have access to centralized waste-to-energy facilities. They need local, cost-effective solutions that can turn waste into energy while also reducing emissions. ETAK offers a way to transform local waste streams into a dependable, local energy supply, supporting both energy independence and sustainability goals.
Can you explain how your modular reactor technology works, and what makes your thermomechanical destruction reactor a breakthrough in waste-to-energy conversion?
ETAK’s proprietary modular reactor is designed to handle nearly any type of solid waste, except for metals and glass. The process starts by automatically shredding and drying the waste on-site, preparing it for conversion. The reactor operates at temperatures above 750 °C in an oxygen-limited environment, breaking down the waste into a synthetic gas rich in hydrogen and methane. What sets our approach apart is that it delivers this conversion as a continuous process, with minimal harmful emissions and at a lower cost than traditional incinerators or classic pyrolysis systems. Our system doesn’t require extensive sorting or expensive flue-gas scrubbing. The resulting syngas, with a much higher calorific value than what is typically produced, can be used directly for electricity generation, steam production in turbines, or industrial heating. The design is modular and scalable, meaning it can be deployed wherever the customer needs it. This reduces transportation costs and landfill dependence, while enabling local energy production from local waste. The breakthrough lies not only in what the system produces, but in how it does it, and in the resulting benefits:
• Compact and decentralized: It's designed as a compact, decentralized energy machine, enabling local energy generation without the need for pipelines or imports.
• Unmatched versatility: It processes an exceptionally wide range of materials at the same time: from biomass and household waste to plastics, textiles, and even used tires, ensuring a stable and diverse feedstock supply.
• Exceptional economics: The system offers significantly lower capital expenditure (CAPEX) at just €2 million per plant, compared to competitors’ facilities that cost between €10 million and €500 million.
In essence, ETAK's breakthrough is in delivering a highly efficient, versatile, and economically viable waste-to-energy solution that is already validated and ready for market.
What are the main financial and operational benefits for your customers, especially in terms of cost savings, energy independence, and infrastructure compatibility?
ETAK delivers clear financial and operational advantages, tailored to the needs of industrial consumers and municipalities:
Cost savings:
• Low upfront investment: Each plant costs just €2 million - far less than traditional incinerators or centralized facilities.
• Rapid ROI & high profitability: A single plant can generate €2.8 million in annual revenue and €1.8 million in net profit, with an impressive 98% ROI and a payback period of about 1 year.
• Lower operating costs: We help high-volume energy users cut ongoing energy expenses by providing a cheaper, sustainable alternative.
• Reduced or eliminated landfill tipping fees, which are often a major burden for municipalities.
• Carbon credit generation: Our system also creates valuable carbon credits, adding another revenue stream.
• The produced syngas is compatible with existing CHP units, steam turbines, and industrial boilers, making integration into current infrastructure simple and efficient.
Energy independence:
• Local energy production: As a compact, decentralized energy solution, ETAK enables communities and industries to generate clean energy from local waste.
• Fossil fuel replacement: The high-calorific gas can fully replace natural gas, coal, or oil, reducing exposure to fossil fuel markets and political instability.
• Continuous, stable supply: Waste is an ongoing, local resource, providing predictable energy input compared to finite fossil fuels.
In addition, customers can benefit from electricity or heat sales, gate fees for waste intake, and potential carbon credits from avoided landfill emissions.
What makes your solution better than pyrolysis systems, incinerators, or traditional fossil fuel-based setups?
ETAK’s solution is a superior alternative to current technologies, offering key economic, environmental, and operational benefits.
Compared to incineration:
• Lower capital and operating costs.
• Fewer emissions and doesn’t require the same level of complex flue-gas treatment.
• Easier to scale and install - no need for large centralized facilities.
Compared to pyrolysis:
• Higher temperature operation for better control and faster process.
• Produces cleaner gas with less tar and more energy.
• Handles a wider range of feedstocks simultaneously. This versatility often surpasses the more specific feedstock requirements of many pyrolysis systems.
Compared to fossil fuels:
• Uses local waste instead of imported energy sources cutting dependence on volatile markets.
• More stable pricing We utilize waste as an "endless resource," providing a stable and predictable energy cost structure.
• Strong CO₂ reduction impact.
ETAK’s technology helps customers meet sustainability targets while also supporting circular economy practices and reducing long-term costs.
How does ETAK contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions and landfill waste, and can you share any figures on the environmental impact of a typical installation?
ETAK makes a significant contribution to environmental sustainability by turning waste into valuable energy and directly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CO₂ reduction is achieved through two main pathways:
1. Methane avoidance: Diverting waste from landfills prevents methane emissions, which are extremely harmful for the climate.
2. Fossil fuel replacement: The syngas we produce replaces fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas, reducing carbon emissions from energy production.
A typical ETAK plant processing 3 tons of waste per hour and operating 8000 hours annually treats around 24,000 tons of waste per year. This avoids about 0.6 tons of CO₂-equivalent methane per ton of waste, roughly 14,400 tons of CO₂-eq per year.
The system also produces about 16 million cubic meters of syngas annually. Replacing fossil natural gas with this volume avoids an additional 30,400 tons of CO₂. In total, one installation can avoid around 44,800 tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions per year. This directly supports climate goals and creates carbon credits, further strengthening the environmental and financial case.
What’s next for ETAK? Are you scaling to new markets, developing new
partnerships, or enhancing the technology further?
ETAK is moving from pilot stage to full-scale commercial deployment. We are now installing industrial lines in Central Asia, focusing in European market and expanding into Western Europe and Latin America.
We’re forming partnerships with municipalities and industrial clients looking for local, clean energy solutions. At the same time, our main focus is to demonstrate the value of our technology to major companies working in waste management, sorting, and energy production. Our solution can easily fit into their current operations, helping them cut costs and unlock new revenue
sources. Our main goal in Europe is to build strong partnerships with leading industry players such as Siram Veolia, Edison, A2A, HERA, Iren, and ACEA.
On the technology side, we’re improving our reactor for even better efficiency and stability. We’re also developing modules to upgrade syngas into biomethane or green hydrogen, allowing more flexibility and future-proof applications. We welcome collaboration with investors, customers, and partners who share our mission to create decentralized, clean energy from waste.
