Embedding TRL-CRL synchronisation into strategy For technology providers and/or developers in waste gasification, survival depends on ensuring that TRL progress is matched by CRL maturity. In practice, this means structuring development strategies to advance both tracks in parallel. Key recommendations include: l Secure capital depth through strategic partnerships with funders who can provide long- term investment confidence while diversifying funding pathways, to draw on a mix of equity, debt, and grants to spread risk and accelerate scale-up. l Lock in feedstock and offtake certainty by developing strong collaborations with feedstock suppliers and product offtakers. l Engage actively in policy frameworks, from emissions trading schemes to renewable mandates, to shape supportive regulation and development planning, technology modules that are proven technically can also be delivered as bankable, investable projects. Lessons from other sectors Wind and solar: Rapid scale-up was not just a function of TRL maturity; policy certainty (Feed-in Tariffs, Contracts for Difference) and commercial models pushed them across the valley (IRENA, 2024 ). Carbon capture and storage (CCS): Many CCS projects remain stranded at TRL 6-7 due to CRL weaknesses (lack of investable revenue models) ( Global CCS Institute, 2024 ). position the project for compliance. By embedding these principles into Hydrogen: Ambitious targets drive R&D, but CRL challenges (infrastructure, offtake pricing) result in slow adoption ( Hydrogen Council, 2023 ). Advanced gasification must learn from experiences in other sectors: success requires both technical and commercial proof. Risks if a well-paced TRL-CRL path is ignored The consequences of neglecting CRL advancement are severe and well-documented. Technologies that appear to ‘work’ in the lab risk stalling indefinitely if they cannot secure finance or market acceptance – many new technologies stall because they fail to find market traction. Projects may fail to reach financial close,
leaving stranded assets and wasted investment. Technology providers and/or developers that rush to scale before proof risk repeating the failures of the past: technology underperformance, spiralling costs, and cancelled plants. The damage extends beyond individual projects. Each failure undermines sector-wide credibility, reinforcing investor scepticism and policymaker hesitation. The result is a feedback loop: funding gaps widen, trust erodes further, and the valley of death deepens. For advanced gasification, ignoring a well- paced TRL-CRL path is not just a missed opportunity – it risks setting the whole sector back yet another decade. Road ahead To survive – and thrive – advanced gasification of waste must embed commercial readiness into technical development at the right pace, leverage public-private funding mechanisms to de-risk scale-up, build partnerships across technology providers and/or developers, funders, policymakers, suppliers and offtakers, and communicate successes transparently to rebuild trust in the sector. Crossing the valley of death requires discipline, collaboration, and patience. The climate-tech boom of the past decade is now giving way to harder scrutiny: only cost-competitive, value- creating solutions will endure. Advanced gasification must anchor itself in the waste-value proposition to remain among the survivors. For advanced gasification to thrive, technology providers and/or developers and funders must: l Synchronise TRL and CRL so that technical validation and commercial bankability reinforce each other at every stage. l Embed scale-up discipline , resisting the temptation to fast-track commercial milestones before resolving technical challenges. l Leverage blended funding mechanisms – grants, equity, concessional finance, and infrastructure capital – to de-risk first projects and attract mainstream investors. l Strengthen policy frameworks , ensuring alignment with national and regional mandates, and for a sector this complex, successor initiatives to the Energy Technologies Institute would be very welcome. l Communicate transparently , sharing results
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