SOLATOM

Solatom is a Spanish technology company, established in 2014, that is addressing the industrial sector's heavy reliance on fossil fuels for thermal energy. The company was co-founded by Miguel Frasquet Herraiz, who serves as CEO, Raul Villalba van Dijk (CFO), and Carlo Terruzzi (R&D). Frasquet's doctoral research on a transportable solar system for thermal applications formed the technological basis for the company, which began in a family garage before scaling up.

The core of Solatom's business is manufacturing and deploying modular, pre-assembled solar boilers that generate heat for industrial processes like pasteurization, drying, and cooking. This provides a renewable alternative to conventional boilers that burn expensive and polluting fossil fuels. The company targets industries with significant thermal energy consumption, such as the food and beverage sector, where energy can represent a substantial portion of production costs. A notable client includes a major brewery, for whom Solatom is building one of the largest solar steam plants in Europe.

Solatom's key product is a patented concentrating solar power system based on linear Fresnel reflector optics. These systems consist of mirrors that track the sun, concentrating sunlight onto receiver tubes to produce steam, pressurized hot water, or thermal oil at temperatures up to 450°C. The system's main selling point is its modularity and transportability. Each module is designed to fit in a standard shipping container, enabling factory assembly, which significantly reduces on-site construction time and costs. This "plug and play" approach allows for rapid deployment; a complete solar field can be installed in as little as 48 hours after delivery. This model makes solar thermal solutions economically viable for a wider range of industrial clients, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The company's business model includes direct sales of these systems and, more recently, a structure involving Heat Purchase Agreements (HPAs). Through a partnership with White Summit Capital, Solatom develops and builds the projects, while an investment platform funds, owns, and operates the assets. This allows industrial clients to access renewable heat without the large upfront capital investment. Solatom has secured funding through several rounds, attracting investment from notable entities such as BP Ventures, Enagás, Ship2B, and EIT Climate-KIC.

Keywords: solar thermal energy, industrial heat, concentrating solar power, Fresnel reflectors, renewable energy for industry, process heat, steam generation, modular solar, decarbonization of industries, Heat Purchase Agreement (HPA), energy as a service, cleantech, Valencia, sustainable manufacturing, solar boilers, Miguel Frasquet, pre-fabricated solar, industrial energy cost reduction, solar steam, thermal oil heating, high-temperature solar