A Nottingham chemical manufacturer has declared that its technology is “ready to make a difference” after it delivered its largest-ever order to a firm which is looking to develop a cheaper and more energy-efficient way to store gas.
Promethean Particles, which is based in Midland Way, says that the deal, which involved shipping four tonnes of a material called metal-organic framework (MOF) to a customer on mainland Europe, is a breakthrough which could help in the fight against climate change.
MOFs are crystalline structures which are capable of trapping and holding vast quantities of gases, including carbon dioxide, making them ideal for use in storing gases and in carbon capture technologies.
However, issues with manufacturing them reliably and cost-effectively in large quantities have so far prevented them from being used on an industrial scale. Promethean Particles has developed its own proprietary manufacturing process, which has drastically increased the quantities of MOFs it can produce while reducing the cost.
It means that the firm is now able to supply companies which want to use MOFs for different applications including, in this case, finding innovative ways of storing larger volumes of gas in tanks to increase energy efficiency and reduce costs.
James Stephenson, chief executive officer of Promethean Particles, said: “This four-tonne order represents the accomplishment of a major milestone in our MOF manufacturing and is something our entire team is incredibly proud of.
“Until recently, MOFs have largely only ever been produced in the grams and kilograms scales. We have now shown that it is possible to manufacture them affordably and rapidly at the tonnes scale, and without sacrificing the critical performance quality our customers are looking for in their applications.
“Our company has spent many months expanding our team and developing our production capabilities to make MOFs at this scale.
“Bearing in mind the huge potential MOFs have for tackling climate change, we’ve proven that our technology is ready to make a difference, which is why there was a great deal of excitement when the final consignment left our site.”
The past 12 months have seen significant growth at Promethean Particles, following the closure of an £8 million Series A funding round led by Mercia Ventures and Aramco Ventures. The investment has been used to scale up manufacturing capacity, expand the team, and demonstrate MOFs’ role in carbon capture and other energy-sensitive applications in support of the wider energy transition.
