Coca-Cola invests in clean electricity startup

Coca-Cola has invested in a tech startup turning wastewater into clean electricity.

The business innovation arm of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, CCEP Ventures, has led an investment round for Pipeline Organics, a climate tech company focused on converting sugar-rich wastewater into “a continuous supply of planet-friendly electricity” that will help power its food and drink production operations.

Pipeline Organics, which manufactures industrial fuel cells that can generate electricity and heat through an electrochemical reaction, secured £800,000 in the round led by CCEP, as well as additional grant funding from the government’s agency Innovate UK.

The “critical” funding will speed up the transition of its technology from a laboratory setting to “real-life operational environments” including Coca-Cola’s manufacturing sites across Europe, Pipeline Organics said.

It will also streamline development for more applications of this “cleaner and cheaper” energy within the food and drink industry, according to the company, with their first commercial product on track to be launched by the end of 2025.

Pipeline Organics’ tech converts sugar-rich wastewater into a free-flowing supply of renewable electricity to power sectors like food and drink production or wastewater treatment.

The startup developed a compact generator the size of a brick that can already generate more power per year than a 550W solar panel, saving space and enabling a quick retrofit on site.

CCEP’s associate director Nicola Tongue said renewable energy was “critical” to the company’s decarbonisation journey, as it works towards its ambitious goal of using 100% renewable electricity across its sites by 2030.

That figure stood at 78% in 2023.

“The prospect of generating it on-site, using existing infrastructure and byproducts, is incredibly exciting,” Tongue added.

“We’re looking forward to working with Pipeline Organics as they enter the next phase of their journey.”

In addition to CCEP, the tech startup also received funding from SFC Capital, Vala Capital, and climate angel investor Pasinee Tangsuriyapaisan. Through the Innovate UK Investor Partnership programme, it received £630,000.

The company, which is led by a team of four PhD-educated founders with expertise across science and engineering, has secured a total investment of £1.7m since its creation.

Its goal is to create new and disruptive options for cleaner and cheaper renewable energy.

“Volatile energy prices, inefficient distribution networks, deteriorating infrastructure and unreliable supply chains are creating huge problems for industries worldwide,” said Pipeline Organics co-founder and CEO Arielle Torres.

“Existing renewable energy technologies are just not good enough, and we desperately need more innovative energy solutions fit for the future.

“Our technology has the potential to solve many of these challenges as it promises to deliver clean, cost-effective renewable electricity 24/7 directly on site, stabilising energy access and operational costs without sacrificing sustainability.”