Technology group Wärtsilä continues its active start-up collaboration by launching the next SparkUp Challenge for start-ups. This time the focus is on the energy field, with Power-to-X technologies. The Smart Energy Challenge is based on Wärtsilä Energy Solution’s new vision: ‘Towards a 100-per-cent renewable energy future’.

 

Renewable energy generation is driven by weather, and sometimes more energy is created than needed. Electricity can then either be stored or used in other processes. “The so-called ‘Power-to-X’ process is all about this, notes Wärtsilä. “In the future, the excess renewable energy will be seen as raw material for other commodities.”

 

As it pursues the vision of developing 100-per-cent renewable energy solutions, Wärtsilä is now searching for start-ups to share solutions in the areas of Power-to-Gas, Power-to-Fuel and Power-to-Water. The solutions can be related to improved methods in Power-to-X or new ways of doing things.

 

“Power-to-X is about the future of energy, and Wärtsilä strives to drive future solutions,” says Matti Rautkivi, Director Sales and Marketing of Energy Solutions. “We are especially interested in Power-to-Gas solutions – for example, where electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen by means of electrolysis, or solutions where we combine hydrogen from an electrolyser with carbon dioxide and convert the two gases to synthetic renewable methane or solutions. We are also looking for other Power-to-Fuel solutions to create synthetic fuel or gaseous fuel,” he adds.

 

“With SparkUp Energy Challenge Wärtsilä is taking a new approach in exploring business opportunities in emerging technologies and brings the Wärtsilä venturing model alive through startup collaboration,” enthuses Steffen Knodt, Director Digital Ventures. “This is exactly what venturing is all about.”

 

The application period for the Smart Energy Challenge is now open and continues until 31st October 2018. Entries are to be submitted as applications via: ventures.wartsila.com.

 

The screening for the shortlist will be done during November 2018. Up to five start-ups will continue to the final – the SparkUp Challenge Day – which will take place at the brand new Wärtsilä Campus in Helsinki on 17th January 2019. One to two winners will get a chance to work with Wärtsilä energy experts, and to gain access to Wärtsilä’s prominent customer-base, alongside winning the 50,000-euro prize.

 

Co-creation will take place in Vaasa at the Wärtsilä Fuel Lab, as well as at any of the Wärtsilä Acceleration Centres.

 

The winners of the first SparkUp Challenge – focused on Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine Vision – were Finnish firm KNL Networks and US-based Portcall.com.