Marcel Huber On Expanding SYNCRAFT & The Future of Clean Energy

---

Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

---

Q: You’re a co-founder of SYNCRAFT. What led to starting the company?

We began our journey in 2009 at the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI), when we invented our unique and patented biomass conversion process — the so-called floating fixed bed gasifier. This innovation became the foundation for what SYNCRAFT is today, creating technology that truly moves the world forward in terms of sustainable energy solutions. As of today, we’ve delivered more than 40 biomass reactors with +500.000 hours of continuous operation, and more Powerplants are in construction.

Q: What does SYNCRAFT offer, and what makes it stand out in the market?

We offer unique Reversepowerplants that provide renewable power, heat, green gas and green carbon — so we offer technology that produces Clean Energy alongside Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) through Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR). That’s what makes our solution truly revolutionary, it generates green energy and also delivers minus-CO2 impact. Our Reversepowerplants actively withdraw CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in Green Carbon, making them not just climate-neutral but climate-positive.

Q: Where do you see SYNCRAFT in 3 years, and what product innovations are coming soon?

We’re expanding our market reach across the ocean to California and Northwestern USA while continuously building up our Reversepowerplant fleet here in Europe. In three years, SYNCRAFT Reversepowerplants will feature increased power output, greater flexibility, and enhanced economic performance. They’ll be even more trusted partners for industry to supply high-grade Green Carbon. We’re focused on adapting our technology to meet the growing demand for defossilization solutions across various sectors.

Q: What are the main unsolved questions in the clean energy system of the future, in your opinion?

The transparency of costs remains a significant challenge. We also need to overcome the political knowledge gap regarding how to design a physically proven, stable energy supply rather than following ideology alone. Creating truly sustainable energy systems requires scientific thinking and practical engineering approaches that can be scaled effectively.

Q: If you weren’t dedicating so many resources to clean energy, where else would you dedicate them?

I honestly have no idea! Our team is so passionate about creating renewable energy solutions and Green Carbon applications that it’s difficult to imagine focusing our efforts elsewhere. The climate and energy challenge is the defining issue of our time, and we’re committed to addressing it.

Q: What trends are you most excited about?

BCR, Green Carbon, and industrial applications of Green Carbon represent incredibly exciting developments. It feels like we’re experiencing a great awakening in this space right now. The potential for Green Carbon to replace fossil carbon in industrial processes while sequestering CO2 long-term offers a dual benefit that few other climate technologies can match.

Q: Where is your company located, and how do you feel its location impacts your trajectory?

We’re based in Tyrol, Austria, which brings significant advantages. The region has strong ties to forest residue valorization, and wood utilization is traditionally strong throughout Austria. Being in a high-tech country with incredible people and employees, plus access to highly educated talents, has been instrumental to our success. The connection to sustainable forestry practices aligns perfectly with our resource needs for forest residue wood.

Q: What are overlooked opportunities in cleantech, or carbontech more specifically?

The polygeneration approach, especially with Green Carbon and biomass, represents a significant opportunity. Producing several products from the raw material achieves greater resilience — similar to other technologies like hydrogen production, where you also produce oxygen. This multilevel use case approach is common practice with fossil fuels, which partly explains why they’re not that expensive. By creating multiple value streams from renewable resources, we can make clean energy economically competitive while providing environmental benefits.

Q: If you were to found SYNCRAFT again, what would you do differently?

Honestly, nothing. We’ve been very lucky in our journey. The path hasn’t always been easy, but each challenge has helped shape what SYNCRAFT has become today and will be tomorrow.

Q: Lastly, if you could enact one policy for climate, what would it be?

A globally aligned, increasing CO2 tax or fee that grows predictably over time. This would create the market conditions needed to accelerate defossilization across industries and drive investment in climate-positive technologies like our Reversepowerplants. Consistency and predictability in climate policy would enable businesses to plan effectively for a decarbonized future.