SYPOX is a technology company founded in 2021 as a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich. Headquartered in Freising, Germany, the company develops electrically-heated reactor systems for industrial chemical processes, with a core focus on electrified steam methane reforming (e-SMR). SYPOX’s proprietary technology combines direct resistive heating and catalysis within a compact pressure vessel, where reacting gases are heated in close proximity to a ceramic supported catalyst.
By electrifying the heat supply, the technology can reduce CO₂ emissions significantly, improve energy efficiency to above 95%, and lower natural gas consumption by 30–40% compared with traditional steam methane reformers. The reactors operate at temperatures up to 1,100°C and pressures up to 50 bar, making them suitable for large-scale industrial applications.
- Role in ELEKTRA project
Within the ELEKTRA project, SYPOX leads the development and demonstration of the Joule-heated Top Gas Reforming system, one of the three flagship electrified reactor solutions being deployed to support the decarbonization of steel production.
Based on SYPOX’s proprietary electrically heated reformer technology, the system converts DRI top gas into syngas for use as reducing gas in direct reduced iron plants.
The project will validate the technology under industrially relevant operating conditions.