In a significant development for the hydrogen and e-fuels industry, TÜV NORD EnSys GmbH & Co. KG has partnered with Munich-based technology firm Atmen. This collaboration aims to assist hydrogen and e-fuels project developers in navigating the complexities of EU sustainability compliance and certification - a critical aspect of business operations even before supply chains are fully operational.

Central to this partnership is Atmen's "H2Compliance Readiness Check" (H2 CRC), designed to enhance developers' understanding of EU green compliance requirements. By simulating energy flows and carbon intensity along the value chain, and assessing forecasted operational flows for compliance, the technology tool efficiently addresses compliance challenges and suggests a path for optimal supply chain design. As a result, an H2 Compliance Readiness Report is generated. The tool is developed to save time and foster trust among offtakers, partners, public institutions and investors right from an early stage of project development.

TÜV NORD EnSys and Atmen will jointly market this product, combining Atmen's technological solution with TÜV NORD´s extensive knowledge and technical advisory services. TÜV NORD EnSys adds value to the partnership by collaborating on the H2 CRC methodology and offering additional services like tailored certification roadmaps and detailed energy simulation to the customers. This approach ensures a comprehensive strategy for achieving EU sustainability compliance.

Flore de Durfort, CEO of Atmen, commented on the partnership: "Working with TÜV NORD EnSys to offer our clients a sophisticated simulation, screening and optimization tool represents a significant step in our effort to reduce manual workloads. This collaboration allows our clients to better understand regulatory requirements, streamline their projects for sustainability, foster trust and accelerate projects path to Final Investment Decision (FID)."

Silvio Konrad, Chairman of the Management Board of TÜV NORD EnSys, also expressed satisfaction with the collaboration:"We are pleased to collaborate with Atmen, bringing together our expertise to assist customers from the early stages of hydrogen project development to operational execution. This partnership is about leveraging technology to embed the critical dimensions of compliance and potential certification in the engineering phases of hydrogen supply chains. It is about de-risking projects by building trust around their sustainability."

This partnership marks an important step forward in supporting sustainable practices within the hydrogen and e-fuels sector.

About Atmen

Atmen is a regulatory technology company based in Munich, Germany, innovating in carbon intensity certification automation.The company was founded by Flore de Durfort, Quentin Cangelosi and Erika Degoute in Munich in January 2023 with competence at the crossing of energy markets and policies and technology. With a focus on energy-intensive industries, Atmen’s platform is designed to facilitate large-scale, verifiable decarbonization processes. For more information, please visit www.Atmen.co

AboutTÜV NORD EnSys

TÜV NORD EnSys supports industries and the energy sector with testing services, technical assessments and studies in transformation processes for defossilisation, digitalisation and sustainability. The service portfolio for safe and efficient technical systems includes the areas of renewable energies, sector coupling, storage and grid infrastructures, Power-to-X and alternative energy sources such as green hydrogen and ammonia. TÜV NORD EnSys aims to further expand its presence in the hydrogen landscape nationally and internationally by joining forces with innovative companies and solutions for the digitalisation of the supply chain.

For more information, please visit www.tuev-nord.de

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Photo: Flore de Durfort, CEO of Atmen, and Silvio Konrad, Chairman of the Management Board of TÜV NORD EnSys, signed the agreement in Essen. (Image: TÜV NORD)

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• Munich-based RegTech company pioneers carbon intensity tracking for industrial products.
• The €1.3M pre-seed funding round led by Revent and Vireo Ventures will enhance technological development and market penetration.
• Atmen's innovative technology simplifies and accelerates carbon intensity certification for EU industrial producers. The company starts with hydrogen and e-fuels.

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MUNICH, Germany — January 16, 2024 — Atmen, a Munich-based regulatory technology company, announced a successful €1.3 million pre-seed funding round today. The round was led by Revent with co-investment from Vireo Ventures with participation from UnternehmerTUM and angel investors. Atmen, previously known as Point Twelve, harnesses IoT and SaaS to provide transparent, dynamic and automated carbon intensity certification for energy-intensive industries. The company starts with hydrogen and e-fuels.

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Atmen’s technology is poised to meet the surging demand for precise, scalable certification processes, especially crucial for energy-intensive industries that contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. The investment will accelerate Atmen's mission to replace outdated, manual, unpredictable certification processes with a streamlined, automated approach.

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“We are thrilled to lead Atmen's funding round,” said Henrik Grosse Hokamp, Partner at Revent. “Industrial decarbonization is one of the most pressing challenges of our decade. Unless carbon intensity is continuously tracked and certified, producers cannot prove their target achievement and product decarbonization cannot be incentivized.”

Automated certification for a greener industry

Atmen addresses a critical energy transition segment by focusing on hydrogen and e-fuels. The evolving EU regulations, including the Renewable Energy Directive mandating a 42% renewable hydrogen quota by 2030 and financial mechanisms like the EU Emissions Trading System and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, are pushing industries towards greener alternatives. These regulations, along with potential penalties for not using sufficient synthetic fuels in sectors like maritime and aviation by 2030, create a compelling economic factor for industries to adapt.

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Atmen recognizes the challenges of aligning with market demands and regulatory compliance. To tackle these issues, the company offers technology that enables producers to incorporate sustainability certification right from the initial design phase of their products and supply chains. In addition, the company collaborates with industry partners to both promote Digital Product Passports as a norm for hydrogen and e-fuels and to enable compliance technologies. 

Leading renewable hydrogen producer Lhyfe and TÜV Nord count among Atmen's key partners.  

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Digital Product Passports digitally record, process, and share product sustainability information among supply chain partners, authorities, and consumers. This initiative aims to help hydrogen and e-fuel producers comply with changing regulations and globally competing certification standards.

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Supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy

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"We are at a turning point in how industries verify their sustainability efforts," remarked Flore de Durfort, Co-founder & CEO of Atmen. “Hydrogen and e-fuels are a core piece of industrial decarbonization, but also the first energy-intensive products for which the pressure and complexity to prove and certify decarbonization are so acute”.

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“Carbon intensity tracking and certification is one the single biggest pain points in scaling the green hydrogen economy and we believe that Atmen´s solution has the potential to become the industry-setting standard in this field. Once achieved, this offers enormous potential to be a new category-defining player in the certification of all low-carbon products.,” added Sven Heiligtag, Partner at Vireo Ventures.

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With this funding, Atmen is well-positioned to deliver its cutting-edge certification platform to market, supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy.

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About Atmen:

Atmen is a regulatory technology company based in Munich, Germany, innovating in carbon intensity certification automation. The company was founded by Flore de Durfort, Quentin Cangelosi and Erika Degoute in Munich in January 2023 with competencies at the crossing of energy markets and regulation and technology. With a focus on energy-intensive industries, Atmen’s platform is designed to facilitate large-scale, verifiable decarbonization processes. For more information, visit www.atmen.co

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About Revent:

Revent is an Impact VC fund investing in startups across Europe using technology to drive systemic change in climate, health, and economic empowerment sectors. With a hands-on approach, Revent empowers companies to combine purpose with profitability. Contact: Henrik Grosse Hokamp, henrik@revent.vc, www.revent.vc

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About Vireo Ventures:

Vireo Ventures is a Venture Capital firm that invests in European early-stage start-ups. The Vireo Electrification Fund invests in technology companies that seek to shape and benefit from accelerating the energy transition via decarbonized electrification, from renewable energy production, smart grids, and infrastructure all the way to applications in areas such as emobility, real estate, and industry.  The founders of Vireo Ventures combine decades of experience with extensive networks in the energy industry and leverage their expertise when supporting portfolio companies. Contact: Matthias Engel, matthias@vireo.vc , www.vireo.vc

We're elated to announce that the Cleantech Group has recognized Atmen (formerly Point Twelve) in their esteemed 2023 Cleantech #50toWatch list. This list highlights pioneering companies actively contributing to achieving #netzero with innovative and determined efforts. Being included in this prestigious group is a significant acknowledgment of our commitment to driving industrial decarbonization and integrating green certification into industrial processes, particularly in hydrogen production.

This accolade is a testament to the unwavering commitment and excellence of our team, bolstered by the invaluable support from our partners and stakeholders.

Discover more about us and other inspiring companies leading the way in the cleantech sector on the Cleantech #50toWatch list

Approximately 350 attendees from Germany and other nations gathered at Essen's Colosseum Theatre on 20 June 2023 for the inaugural HYDROVERSE CONVENTION. This event was centred on the burgeoning hydrogen market and emerging start-ups. A diverse program was presented to Europe's hydrogen sector, featuring 12 pitch presentations, an Expo showcasing 20 start-up exhibitors, 7 expert speakers, a keynote address, and two discussion panels.

The highlight of the convention was the presentation of the “HYDROVERSE CONVENTION Award”. Uwe Kerkmann, the Managing Director, alongside H2UB shareholders including OGE, RAG Stiftung, TÜV SÜD, and DLR, honoured the best pitch of the event. The award was claimed by Flore de Durfort from Atmen (previously Point Twelve), who captivated the jury with her innovative software. This software allows hydrogen producers to efficiently track the source of hydrogen, calculate carbon emissions, and secure officially recognised certificates for these efforts. The jury's evaluation criteria included technological excellence, practicality, the potential influence on the hydrogen economy, the calibre of the team, and the effectiveness of the presentation.

Read full article here on h2ub.com

Atmen (formerly Point Twelve)) has earned a spot on the list of 15 climate software startups to watch, as nominated by investors. The company is recognised for its innovative approach in verifying the renewable source of energy used in hydrogen production. In a world where the majority of hydrogen is still produced using fossil fuels, Point Twelve's solution is a critical step towards realising hydrogen's potential as a sustainable fuel. Their technology not only assists producers in cutting costs but also plays a vital role in building trust in renewable energy sources​.

Read full article on Sifted.eu

GWF Edition 02-03/23 – Interview with Flore de Durfort, CEO of Point Twelve

“Everyone wants green hydrogen, but who or what guarantees that it’s “green”? Flore de Durfort is CEO of Point Twelve, the first start-up from the H2UB-Hydroverse that we are presenting in our series. Point Twelve has developed a solution to connect producers of hydrogen with providers of certificates. The goal is to qualify:

“green” hydrogen as reliably as possible. In the interview, Ms. de Durfort ex- plains how she wants to revolutionize the market for certificates with her company – and what green hydrogen actually is.”

Read the Full interview (in English)

Extract of GWF Edition 02-03/23 (in German)

Full GWF Edition 02-03/23 (in German, paid access)

As simple as it sounds, the question “what is green hydrogen?” has kept the European Commission, Parliament and industry busy in the past couple of years. This week, the European Commission published its long-awaited Delegated Acts. The first Delegated Act provides producers and investors with detailed rules describing how hydrogen and e-fuels can be certified as “green”. The second one details the methodologies to calculate the carbon content of renewable hydrogen along the value chain.

How can you show reliably that the hydrogen you produced is green – as per the EU’s definition of renewable hydrogen? If you don’t have any idea – we do.  Book a demo to see how Atmen (previously Point Twelve) ’s solution helps you trace carbon, obtain certificates, and earn money and trust from it.

Read the Delegated Acts: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_594

How to Strengthen “SciencePreneurship”? Point Twelve Energy’s CEO & Co-founder Flore de Durfort talks about this very topic at the #DLD23 conference in Munich along with panellists Markus Blume (Bavarian State Minister of Science and Art),
Helmut Schoenenberger (UnternehmerTUM), Daniel Wiegand (Lilium) and Antonella Mei-Pochtler (Chancellery of the Federal Government of Austria).

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Everybody is talking about the colors of hydrogen – green to grey – however how do we actually make sure, what is what, when the outcome is always the same gas and similar to other energy sources we can have a mix in the supply chain with hydrogen, too.

Flore de Durfort, CEO of Atmen (formerly Point Twelve), knows how to. In the interview with journalist Anna Loll, the host of the podcast GLOBAL HYDROGENERATION, Flore explains how her company can help companies not only to decarbonize, but also to prove that they are decarbonizing – which is a difference!

Flore also points out how important regulation favoring climate change and decarbonization is to change the market and shares her personal journey, how she happened to become a startup leader instead of following a corporate career, and why magic happens, once you follow your passion.

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Podcast

Earlier this year, Atmen is born to provide hydrogen producers with the technology and tools to raise and achieve their decarbonisation ambitions. Atmen does this by building software to trace sustainability attributes, scale certification practices and automate compliance.

Why?

#1: Hydrogen is only as clean as the energy used to produce and ship it

Decarbonizing our global economy counts amongst the top challenges of our time. Direct electrification can take us far on this path, but not all the way. For entire segments of our economy – steel, glass, cement, chemicals, fertilizers, shipping, aviation sectors known as “hard to abate” and responsible for about 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen is the most straightforward energy carrier to achieve decarbonisation. As such, hydrogen stands out as an incredibly important piece of the net zero emissions puzzle. Hence the attention boom for hydrogen in the previous year. In 2022 some 680 large-scale hydrogen project proposals, equivalent to USD 240 billion in direct investment through 2030, have been put forward worldwide – an investment increase of 50% since November 2021 (1).

Yet, there is a catch. Hydrogen is not inherently sustainable.

It is only as clean as the energy used to produce and ship it. If produced and shipped with carbon-rich energy sources, hydrogen will not be a boon to net zero agendas. Hydrogen needs to be produced using carbon free processes in order to contribute to decarbonisation. What does this mean?

Hydrogen can be produced from multiple sources.

If produced through the electrolysis of water, carbon-free electricity needs to be used as the primary energy source. If produced from natural gas, carbon capture needs to effectively take place in the process.

Then comes shipping.

Then comes shipping: as large shares of hydrogen are expected to be traded globally by 2030, the industry will have to make sure that shipping-related emissions do not stifle the benefits of resorting to hydrogen vs. fossil fuels.

(1) Source: Hydrogen Council & McKinsey Report, September 2022

The bottom line

If done right, hydrogen can accelerate real decarbonisation. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), hydrogen has the potential to avoid up to 80 GT of carbon emissions by 2050. Yet, if done wrong, hydrogen could slow down the energy transition. This chemical engineering reality is the main reason for regulatory complexity being created around the topic of hydrogen. Governments and businesses are only interested in hydrogen to the extent that it enables decarbonisation. Therefore they need to make sure that the hydrogen turn is taken right.