What specific problem in the biogas industry does Sandcatch Solutions solve, and why is it such a critical barrier to scaling biogas production?
Sandcatch Solutions addresses one of the most persistent and costly operational challenges in the biogas industry: the buildup of sand and particulate matter in digesters and reactors. This accumulation reduces reactor capacity, straining rotational equipment, and forces operators to shut down production for up to three months on average every other year to manually excavate the sediments. These shutdowns not only halt gas output but also result in lost gate fees, high disposal costs, and exposing personnel to safety risks such as working in confined-space, in direct contact with digested biowaste and potential trapped gas, resulting in a production loss it the EU valued to €500M/ year.
This issue is a major bottleneck to scaling biogas production. Without a better solution, the industry risks building thousands of additional reactors just to compensate for lost capacity—without generating any additional energy output.
How does your mobile sand removal technology work, and what makes it fundamentally better than traditional methods like shutdowns, excavators, or building backup reactors?
Our patented mobile sand removal unit is inspired by coiled tubing technology from the oil and gas sector. It uses a dual-hose system inserted into the reactor through a 8” valve or larger. A pressure-equalizing chamber allows safe entry, and an ejector head jets and loosens sediment, which is then extracted and separated outside the tank. Cleaned slurry is reinjected for loosening more sediments, enabling continuous operation.
Unlike traditional methods, our system:
- Requires no shutdowns or structural modifications.
- Eliminates the need for human entry into hazardous tanks.
- Is mobile and scalable across sites.
What are the main operational benefits for plant operators using your solution, in terms of uptime, output, cost savings, and simplicity of use?
Operators using Sandcatch’s service experience:
- An increase in gas output due to uninterrupted production and cleaner reactor conditions, with over 20%
- Zero downtime during cleaning, compared to months-long shutdowns.
- Cost savings of over €200k per cleaning cycle, factoring in avoided lost revenue, reduced disposal costs, and lower internal labor
- No retrofitting required—just a standard access point and a flat area for setup.
- Simple, repeatable service that can be scheduled like calling a plumber.
You describe your service as being like ‘calling a plumber.’ Can you walk us through the user experience and what’s required from the client side?
Our service is designed to be as seamless as possible:
- The client provides access to a 8” or larger valve, ideally 75 cm above ground.
- We require a flat 10x10m area for setup, standard 380V power, and water access.
- Our team arrives with the mobile unit, connects to the tank, and begins extraction.
- The process is fully external and non-invasive—no need to stop production, stop feeding or open the tank
- From the client’s perspective, it’s as simple as booking a service call with a plumber. We handle the rest.
How does Sandcatch contribute to climate goals, and can you quantify its impact in terms of avoided CO₂ emissions or increased renewable energy production?
Sandcatch directly supports climate goals by:
- Increasing renewable gas output over 20%, enabling more energy from existing infrastructure
- Reducing the need for new reactors—if current sand management practices continue, 55,000 additional reactors would be needed by 2030 just to maintain output
- Lowering landfill volumes by 50%, thanks to the ability to separate solids from liquids, and dry matter for landfill storage.
In one case study, our service enabled 70 extra days of operation, yielding 19% more gas and avoiding 330 tons of CO₂ emissions as biogas replaced natural gas in the gas pipeline infrastructure.
What’s next for Sandcatch Solutions, are you planning to expand geographically, scale up production, or develop complementary technologies?
We’re entering a major growth phase. Our first commercial job was completed in early 2025, and we’re now under contract till the end of the year, with the one unit we have in operation Norway, and we are now wanting to scale internationally in Europe, before expanding cross-Atlantic.
Until now, we’ve raised over €1m in funding by investors and public funding and are raising additional capital target to €4m opening Oct 2025:
- Scale production— to accelerate unit manufacturing.
- Expand internationally—our service will be available outside Norway early 2026
- Offer flexible business models depending on client requirements —including direct service, equipment sales, and licensing.
- Our mission remains clear: “Sand management made easy”—and we’re just getting started.
”Sandcatch doesn’t just clean tanks—
it unlocks a year of production every decade.
That’s not maintenance - That’s margin.”
