The latest news from the ClimateTech World

CTVR Update for June 25, 2025

Private Companies

Flocean to Launch World's First Commercial Subsea Desalination Plant in Norway

Flocean has finalized plans to launch a commercial subsea desalination plant at Mongstad, Norway's largest offshore supply base and key industrial hub. With permits approved by the Norwegian Coastal Authorities, the project is scheduled to deliver first water in the first half of 2026.

The commercial plant builds on the success of Flocean's Flocean Zero installation, which has been delivering clean, drinkable water from approximately 500 meters below the surface at Mongstad since November 2024. By operating at depth, the system harnesses the ocean's natural pressure as a free energy source, resulting in 40% less energy consumption, 95% less land footprint, no toxic brine discharge, and protection from surface weather conditions.

Supported by Asset Buyout Partners, Siemens Energy, Nysnø Climate Investments, Innovation Norway, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Flocean has applied expertise in offshore energy, subsea robotics, and marine systems in developing a scalable, environmentally friendly approach to freshwater production.

Click here to read the full story and learn more about Flocean on CTVR here.

Utilidata Raises $60 Million Series C to Scale Distributed AI Across Energy Infrastructure

Utilidata has secured $60.3 million in Series C funding led by Renown Capital Partners, with participation from Quanta Services, NVIDIA, and existing investor Keyframe Capital. The funding will enable Utilidata to scale Karman, its distributed AI platform developed with NVIDIA and built on a custom NVIDIA module based on the Jetson Orin Nano edge AI platform.

With data center power demand projected to increase by 160 percent by 2030, grid operators and hyperscalers face new constraints. Utilidata’s Karman addresses this challenge by enabling high-power computational and AI capabilities to be embedded directly into grid infrastructure and data centers, increasing grid capacity, improving reliability, and reducing carbon emissions. Karman is now available for purchase directly from Advantech, with Hubbell Incorporated working to embed the platform into smart meters for electric utilities.

"Electricity has gone from being abundant and predictable to scarce and increasingly unpredictable," said Josh Brumberger, CEO of Utilidata. Strategic partnerships with Deloitte and Quanta Services position the company to support utilities through implementation of edge AI at scale as the energy industry manages significant demand growth and complexity from the clean energy transition.

Click here to read the full story and learn more about Utilidata on CTVR here.

Xerion Achieves Breakthrough in Single-Step Cobalt Refinement, Launches Ohio Pilot Production

Xerion Advanced Battery Corp. has announced progress in cobalt refinement with the launch of a pilot-scale production line at its Dayton, Ohio manufacturing facility. The company's proprietary DirectPlate Molten Salt Electrolysis (MSE) technology introduces a single-step, continuous process for transforming crude cobalt hydroxide directly into high-purity cobalt metal, achieving greater than 99% pure cobalt metal output with greater than 98% yields in lab testing.

This development addresses domestic supply challenges, as the U.S. currently has no domestic cobalt refinement capacity while China controls 72% of global refinement capacity. With global cobalt demand expected to grow from 240,000 tons in 2024 to between 410,000 and 520,000 tons by 2050, Xerion's technology offers advantages over existing refinement methods in unit economics, supply chain security, and environmental impact through low-temperature processing and a closed-loop system requiring zero organic solvents.

"Our technology represents a new approach to how we produce critical minerals," said Dr. John Busbee, CEO and Co-Founder of Xerion. The five-ton-capacity pilot facility moves the company toward commercial-scale production, positioning Xerion to contribute to domestic critical material supply chains and reduce dependence on foreign mineral suppliers.

Click here to read the full story and learn more about Xerion on CTVR here.

RepAir Carbon Secures $15 Million to Scale Energy-Efficient Carbon Capture Technology

RepAir Carbon, developer of an energy-efficient electrochemical carbon capture solution, has secured $15 million in Series A extension funding co-led by Taranis Carbon Ventures and Extantia Capital, with participation from Ormat Technologies and Repsol. The Israeli Innovation Authority also provided a non-dilutive $3 million grant, bringing the total funding to $18 million as the company targets the one-gigaton market for diluted emissions from data centers and industrial sources.

RepAir's proprietary technology addresses a significant challenge in carbon reduction by efficiently capturing dilute CO2 from sources like gas turbines, aluminum smelters, and atmospheric air. The fully electric, heat-free electrochemical system consumes 70% less energy than conventional methods by capturing and concentrating CO2 in a single step, without energy-intensive thermal processes or chemical solvents.

Click here to read the full story and learn more about RepAir on CTVR here.