Rhinoflux completes biomass power prototype with Sumitomo Forestry

By AI, Created 5:26 AM UTC, May 28, 2026, /AGP/ – Rhinoflux says it has finished prototype testing of its combustion-free biomass power platform with Sumitomo Forestry after more than 240 hours of continuous operation. The Kyoto University spinout is now planning a 2027 pilot and says its first commercial system is targeted for 2028.

Why it matters: - Rhinoflux is targeting clean, dispatchable power for data centers, industry and other users that need 24/7 electricity. - The company says its combustion-free biomass platform could improve efficiency, cut emissions and unlock biomass feedstocks that are harder to use in conventional power plants. - The system also captures CO2 as a co-product, which could support industrial gas sales or carbon removal uses.

What happened: - Rhinoflux announced the successful completion of its prototype demonstration with Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd., a Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime-listed forestry company. - The testing validated Rhinoflux’s Hydro Chemical Looping platform across efficiency, CO2 capture and continuous operation. - The prototype phase is complete, and Rhinoflux says the company is moving to a 20 kW pilot in 2027 and first commercial launch in 2028.

The details: - Rhinoflux says the platform produced electricity through chemical reactions in an aqueous solution, without combustion. - The company says the system reached 45% to 65% power generation efficiency, versus 10% to 30% for conventional combustion-based biomass technologies. - The process captured CO2 at greater than 99.9% purity. - The prototype logged more than 240 cumulative hours of continuous operation from September 2025 to April 2026. - Rhinoflux says its 1 kW prototype, “Katsura-1J,” ran for more than 120 hours with Sumitomo Forestry’s woody biomass. - Testing then continued with non-woody biomass feedstocks from multiple industrial partners. - The platform is designed to handle both dry and wet feedstocks across multiple biomass categories. - Rhinoflux says the system can be deployed modularly at the factory or data center level, rather than relying on large combustion infrastructure. - The company says biomass’s theoretical resource potential is about 1,500 EJ per year, roughly 2.5 times current global primary energy supply. - Rhinoflux included a technology overview in its announcement.

Between the lines: - The demonstration with Sumitomo Forestry gives Rhinoflux a credibility boost with a large forestry company that already has biomass experience. - The company is positioning combustion-free biomass as a firm power option at a time when hyperscalers, governments and industrial customers are all looking for reliable low-carbon electricity. - Rhinoflux is also trying to differentiate itself from other biomass approaches by combining efficiency, CO2 capture and feedstock flexibility in one platform. - The company says it is raising a Series A in 2026 to fund pilot deployment, team growth and commercial engineering.

What’s next: - Rhinoflux plans a 20 kW pilot demonstration in real-world conditions in 2027. - The company is targeting a first commercial 100 kW-class system in 2028 for industrial customers in food and beverage, forestry and waste management. - Rhinoflux says it expects to expand to 2 MW commercial systems starting in 2028. - The company is also aiming for 10 MW to 100 MW projects from 2032 onward for data centers, steel, chemical and utility customers. - Rhinoflux says it is engaged with beverage and food producers to evaluate non-woody biomass feedstocks. - More information is available at Rhinoflux’s website.