What core challenge does Intelligest solve for biomethane plants, and why is it so critical for the future of green gas production in Europe?
Intelligest solves biological and mechanical failures which drive high operational costs, missed yield opportunities, and avoidable methane emissions for biogas and biomethane plants. Many plants rely on outdated tools and limited digital infrastructure, preventing the majority fo plants from operating over 70-80% efficiency levels. Biomethane is projected to play a critical role in decarbonization - Europe is unable to miss 2050 targets without biomethane comprising at least 30% gas supply. The market is expected to exceed £60 billion globally, but without optimization, scaling this industry sustainably becomes nearly impossible.
How does your AI-driven platform work in practice, and what makes it different from the traditional consultant-based approach to plant optimization?
Traditionally, optimization has relied on manual, consultant-driven audits, which are expensive and offer only a snapshot in time. Intelligest replaces this with a real-time, continuously learning AI platform which ingests data from across the plant, and uses advanced modelling to surface real-time insights, risks and recommended actions. The power in our solution lies in having an adaptable ‘brain’ on the plant 24/7 - a more scalable, responsive and cost-effective option that helps operators make smarter decisions daily, not quarterly.
What are the main benefits your customers experience, in terms of profitability, downtime reduction, and yield improvement?
Intelligest customers see the following benefits
- Up to 30% increased biogas yield from optimized biological performance and reduced variability
- Up to 20% reduced downtime, thanks to predictive alerts and proactive maintenance recommendations
- Lower operating and feedstock costs, through efficiency gains and better input-output ratios
- Improved profitability, driven by both higher revenues (from more gas output) and lower costs
Our early results show improvements in plant uptime, feedstock efficiency, and decision-making speed, especially across multi-plant operators.
Can you share more about the platform’s capabilities, from virtual plant visualisation to biological modelling and real-time alerts?
The Intelligest platform started with a simple virtual plant visualisation which allows operators to understand performance and receive notifications on deviations, performance drops, or potential biological failures, enabling quicker interventions. The next stage of development focused on AI-based models that predict digester health and gas yield based on feedstock and operational inputs. Eventually users will be able model the impact of operational decisions before implementation using simulations, supporting further optimization and smarter planning across portfolios.
What’s the climate impact of improving plant performance with Intelligest, and how do you quantify avoided CO₂ emissions per plant?
By improving plant efficiency, Intelligest reduces methane slip, residual emissions in digestate, flaring, and other sources of operational emissions, while also maximizing yield and the displacement of fossil fuels through greater biomethane output. At Intelligest, we prioritize our development to focus on the opportunities for maximum avoidance of CO₂ emissions. We aim to reduce 14 million tonnes CO₂e annually at scale - that’s like taking 3 million cars off the road each year.
What’s next for Intelligest, are you focusing on product development, scaling across Europe, or expanding into new sectors?
We are still an early-stage company, and are focused on product development and R&D to deepen our modelling capabilities and achieve our optimization goals over the next 18 months. Simultaneously, we will be rolling out across Europe, expanding into high-growth biomethane markets like France, Italy, and the Nordics through strategic partnerships with technology suppliers, developers, and OEMs.
