RhinoFlux, Spun-off from Kyoto University, Achieves Over 240 Hours of Operation with Non-Combustion Biomass Power Generation

RhinoFlux (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; CEO: Atsushi Mazawa), has achieved over 240 hours (equivalent to 10 days) of stable operation in continuous running tests for its 1kW prototype based on its proprietary 'wet chemical looping technology.' The tests utilized various feedstocks, including woody biomass provided by Sumitomo Forestry (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshiro Mitsuyoshi). This technology significantly outperforms conventional combustion-based methods in power generation efficiency, even with wet biomass feedstock with high moisture content. This demonstration confirmed its performance and also verified that it can capture CO2 at over 99.9% purity simultaneously with power generation.

With this successful demonstration, the company has completed the prototype phase of its five-stage growth roadmap. Following a demonstration with a 20kW pilot machine in 2027, the company aims to commercialize its first commercial unit (100kW class) in 2028. RhinoFlux achieved this milestone approximately two years after its founding in April 2024 and 1.5 years since its last funding round.

## Overview and Results of Demonstration Experiments

### Completion of Prototype Testing in Collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry

In collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry, which holds significant forest resources and has been actively engaged in the utilization of woody biomass, the company achieved over 120 hours of stable operation with woody biomass feedstock. Subsequently, continuous testing using non-woody biomass feedstocks provided by various partners, including food and beverage manufacturers, was conducted, reaching over 240 cumulative hours (equivalent to 10 days) of continuous operation.

### Achieving Over 240 Cumulative Hours of Stable Operation

Continuous operation time is one of the most important indicators for measuring the practicality of power plant technology. This achievement demonstrated that the wet chemical looping technology can supply electricity stably and sustainably, and operates with different types of feedstocks ranging from woody biomass to food-related residues. Separation and recovery of CO2 generated in the power generation process with a purity of 99.9% or higher were also confirmed. Building on these results, the company will advance business development with a view toward global expansion.

## Prototype Information and Test Results

### About Wet Chemical Looping Technology

#### Mechanism of Next-Generation Non-Combustion Energy Conversion

RhinoFlux's 'wet chemical looping technology' is a next-generation energy conversion technology based on fundamental research by Lecturer Ryuichi Ashida of Kyoto University, which generates electricity through chemical reactions in an aqueous solution. It achieves highly efficient energy conversion without burning biomass, while also separating and recovering high-purity CO2 as a byproduct.

Compared to conventional biomass power generation technology, it achieves approximately 2–4 times the power generation efficiency, enabling a significantly larger amount of electricity to be generated from the same amount of biomass input, thus allowing for the economic utilization of biomass resources.

Furthermore, while conventional biomass power generation requires large-scale combustion equipment, this technology does not require combustion equipment, allowing for flexible design of device scale and implementation at the factory or plant level.

## Social Value

### Responding to Power Demand in the AI and Decarbonization Era

This technology meets the power demand of the AI and decarbonization era as a clean power source that can provide 24-hour stable supply. As a distributed power source with a flexibly designed scale, it can be introduced directly into factories, data centers, and plants that require power.

### Contribution to Energy Security

Biomass is a renewable energy resource that can be procured domestically and regionally, contributing to the reduction of reliance on overseas resources, the improvement of energy self-sufficiency, and the strengthening of resilience against geopolitical risks. In addition, its distributed deployment capability contributes to the strengthening of power supply resilience during disasters.

### Effective Utilization of Diverse Biomass Resources

Biomass exists abundantly on a global scale, and this technology is compatible with diverse feedstocks from woody to food-related residues. RhinoFlux will contribute to sustainable energy supply by deploying this technology not only domestically but globally.

## Business Phase and Commercialization Roadmap

RhinoFlux has a five-stage growth roadmap: ① Lab → ② Prototype → ③ Pilot Machine → ④ Commercial Machine → ⑤ Large-scale Project. With this successful demonstration, the prototype phase is complete, and the company is shifting to the 20kW pilot machine phase. At the commercial machine stage, it aims for operation at a level capable of '24 hours a day, 365 days a year' operation.

The 1kW prototype is a 1/100 scale demonstration machine of the first commercial unit (100kW class). The cumulative 240+ hours of stable operation starting from the demonstration with Sumitomo Forestry marked the completion of this phase's goals, signifying a transition for the company's technology from R&D to implementation.

### Development of 20kW Pilot Machine (Scheduled for 2027 Demonstration)

The company has started development of a 20kW pilot machine with expanded output scale.