The Marseille company Enogia designs and manufactures systems, called ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle), which recover the waste heat generated during industrial processes in order to produce electricity, then consumed by the manufacturer, directly on site. Enogia specializes in low powers and low temperatures. “We produce completely carbon-free kWh at an advantageous price,” summarizes Antonin Pauchet in a few words who, with Arthur Leroux, created the company in 2009.
In mid-2023, Enogia also carried out a capital increase of 4.6 million euros with the entry of Éric Blanc-Garin and Yazid Sabeg into the company’s capital, at an amount of 11.93 % of the capital, via their joint holding company, Duna & Cie. An operation intended to finance the growth of the company but also to provide managers with the vision and experience of more seasoned entrepreneurs.
In 2023, the company, which has around fifty employees, achieved a turnover of 5.1 million euros, an increase of 53% compared to 2022. At the same time, the share generated by export went from 92% to 83% with a significant increase in the weight of Western Europe, particularly Germany.
Carbon-free and economical electricity
A development made possible because the company is riding on two positive elements. “The increase in electricity prices has boosted our activity and we are also contributing to the decarbonization of the company. Our solutions are therefore very popular with manufacturers, in France, England and Germany in particular, where we should deliver around forty machines in the first quarter of 2024, continues Antonin Pauchet. We were naturally less present on the French market which already has carbon-free electricity, but the increase in costs has helped to rebalance the situation.
An order for Chantiers de l’Atlantique
In France, the company notably won an order in the maritime sector with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, in order to equip two cruise ships with Enogia machines. “Our systems are efficient, whether the engines are diesel or gas. We have been positioning ourselves for a while in the maritime sector by participating in trade fairs and having joined the sea division. The Chantiers de l’Atlantique call for tenders is the result of this approach”, indicates the entrepreneur.
In Germany, Enogia is positioned in the biogas market. “Our market is vast and little known. Most often, customers are unaware that their process can be equipped with machines that generate electricity from waste heat,” he observes. “We are only four companies in the world to offer machines on our scale.
Geothermal energy in Taiwan
During 2023, the company developed its presence in another market, that of geothermal energy, in particular with the Taiwan Cement Corporation. In this context, it makes it possible to directly produce electricity from hot water drawn from the basements from existing wells or from drilling to be carried out. “The modularity of our machines, their performance and their flexibility allow them to adapt even when the operating conditions of the wells differ from those anticipated. Heat recovery to produce energy is quite rare in small wells. sizes, like those where we have positioned ourselves”, underlines Antonin Pauchet.
