What Is the Water Horizon Project?
Water Horizon, towards a greener future, is the world’s first mobile thermal battery – a breakthrough concept emerging from a Toulouse-based deeptech start-up founded in 2017. This innovative solution supports various industries in their energy transition by valorizing waste heat, storing and transporting heat, and producing renewable cold. The technology recovers waste heat from industrial activities and converts it into renewable heat or cold for distribution at a different time and place. Essentially, it offers a dynamic way to decarbonize industrial sites and address some of the most pressing challenges of today, including industrial waste heat and the need for a low-carbon energy solution.
Main Benefits of the Technology
The Water Horizon solution delivers notable benefits while tackling key challenges effectively. It is designed for both cold consumers and waste heat producers, offering an advantageous approach through a cooling-as-a-service model. The following bullet points summarize some of the key figures and facts:
- Industrial Waste Heat Recovery and Valorization
- Renewable Heating and Cooling with No Investment Required
- Enhanced Energy Efficiency and Better Energy Availability
- Reduction in Carbon Impact and a Green, Positive Company Image
- Accessibility to an Economic Refrigeration Solution for Decarbonization
Technical Innovations and Breakthroughs
The project is built around two breakthrough technologies: MH2C (Move Heat 2 Cold) and LH2C (Low Heat 2 Cold). Over the last seven years, Water Horizon has developed a distinctive technical expertise in absorption technology – a process that converts waste heat into valuable heating and cooling energy. With the MH2C technology, the thermal battery charges from an industrial waste heat source, stores the energy without any loss, and later distributes it as renewable heat or cold. This process is both innovative and disruptive, making it possible to transfer energy from one time or location to another… it’s like having a battery that never loses a drop of its power.
How the System Works
The functioning of the Water Horizon system is straightforward yet ingenious. Initially, an industrial waste heat source, starting at 50°C, is used to charge the thermal battery. Once charged, the energy is stored in a chemical form without any loss over time – a feature that truly sets it apart. Then, the battery is transported to the consumer site, where it is discharged as renewable heat or cold. For cold consumers, the system can decarbonize industrial facilities by providing a low-carbon and economic refrigeration solution, delivering an ecological alternative without requiring additional investments. Such flexibility and reliability come together in a process that is efficient and transformative.
Innovative Service Model
One of the major distinguishing factors of the Water Horizon project is its innovative service offer – Cooling as a Service. In this model, the client only pays for the energy they consume, ensuring that there is no need for heavy upfront investments. This service-oriented approach facilitates easier adoption across industries, making the solution not just environmentally beneficial but also economically attractive. The model shifts the focus from ownership to utility, inviting enterprises to embrace a greener technology with minimal risk and maximum efficiency… it’s a clear win for those looking to improve both their sustainability and operational costs.
Project Impact
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
Future Perspectives and Industry Disruption
Looking ahead, the Water Horizon project is poised to reshape the landscape of industrial energy management, offering an ambitious answer to the challenges of waste heat valorization and renewable energy distribution. The move towards a greener future is further supported by the new continuous cold service provided by LH2C technology – a game-changer that recovers very low temperature waste heat, unlocking potential resources previously considered unreachable by other energy solutions. With such pioneering technologies available, industries can now reimagine their approach to energy consumption… adopting a sustainable model that underlines both environmental responsibility and operational excellence.
