Our Vision
We address the major environmental threat posed by waste plastic by turning non-recyclable waste plastic into alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and electricity that are not dependent upon the use of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.
Mission
Our primary mission is to accelerate the development of a circular and net zero carbon economy in Europe. We aim to become a leading European specialist in turning non-recyclable mixed waste plastic into carbon-free fuels, new materials or distributed renewable heat. Our activities will range across the full value chain, from the production of energy from non-recyclable mixed waste plastic for local communities, to the sale of syngas, hydrogen, electricity and heat to end customers.
Focus
We are working to create a project pipeline of Hydrogen Utopia waste plastic to syngas and hydrogen plants on the European Continent. The hubs will incorporate our unique technology: a sealed thermochemical system free of noxious emissions. We are identifying opportunities across several industry verticals and intend to expand into other non-European jurisdictions (excluding the UK).
HUI Plants
Our facilities use non-recyclable mixed waste plastic as feedstock and turn it into a synthetic gas (syngas) from which new products such as hydrogen and other gases, electricity and distributed heat can be produced.
Strategic Partners
We have partnered with highly credible counterparties who play a key role in designing and building our plants and introducing us to potential customers.
Linde GmbH, Linde Engineering
Linde plc is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company and a global leader in the production, processing, storage and distribution of hydrogen. It is at the forefront in the transition to clean hydrogen worldwide.
At COP26 (the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference), Hydrogen Utopia and Linde Engineering signed a framework agreement for the supply of technology and equipment to Hydrogen Utopia waste plastic to hydrogen plants in Europe. Linde Engineering will supply the technology to clean the syngas and also extract and process hydrogen.
Electron Thermal Processing
Electron is dedicated to the thermal processing industry and has over 25 years’ experience in providing turnkey heat treatment solutions to clients including General Electric, Tata Steel and Royal Dutch Shell. Electron is a member of the Glaesum Group with large manufacturing facilities in the Netherlands.
In May 2021, Hydrogen Utopia commissioned the design of a chemical conversion chamber from Electron. The chemical conversion chamber, which is currently in the final design phase, will have the ability to be electrically powered by 100% renewable energy. It is anticipated that the design will be finalized and a definitive chemical conversion chamber could be ready for installation in a Hydrogen Utopia plant by late 2022.
Sweco Group
Sweco is a European engineering consultancy company, active in the fields of consulting engineering, environmental technology and architecture. Sweco is established in 14 countries with more than 17,500 engineers, architects and advisors.
Our target geographical areas of focus are those where there is significant private sector interest or financial backing is accessible and where substantial EU and/or government funded sources of grants and loans are available, such as but not limited to the EU’s “Just Transition Fund” which was set up to help fossil fuel dependent communities transition towards climate neutrality. The global increase in fossil fuel-based energy prices reinforces the need for alternative, price competitive energy sources, which our business model can provide.
The Board
The Board of Directors comprise a team with significant experience and a blend of Continental European, corporate financing and financial markets, sophisticated engineering and waste solutions expertise and experience.
SIMON MANN, NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
Simon Mann is a British Army Special Forces veteran, with a proven track record of success in both war and business across the globe. He continues to apply his military experience as a consultant in defence and security. With expertise in resource extraction, exploration, and operations for the oil, gas, and mining industries, he has become a champion of the Hydrogen sector to futureproof energy supply. A public speaker and presidential advisor on the international stage, Simon brings a current political and strategic network second to none.
Aleksandra Binkowska, CEO
Aleksandra is the Founder of Hydrogen Utopia International PLC. She also founded the NGO Plastic Neutrality Pledge in February 2021.
Aleksandra believes that hydrogen is the commodity of the future and has the ambition to make Poland the first country in the European Union with a Hydrogen Utopia plant and to progressively roll out other Hydrogen Utopia plants across Continental Europe.
Aleksandra believes in the circular economy and views discarded and non-recycled waste plastic as the biggest threat to humanity. Her ambition is to make large companies see the advantages of a circular economy and the need to protect our environment whilst at the same time being able to make profits from investments in new but proven clean fuel technologies.
From 2015, Aleksandra was the CEO of Carulac sp. Z.o.o., a Polish company with a fleet of buses. Carulac provides bus services to one of the largest tourist companies in the World, Group Voyagers Inc., whose buses serve travellers in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Running Carulac made Aleksandra realise that the future of tourism should be based on hydrogen-fuelled buses.
Aleksandra studied Political Sciences and Journalism at Warsaw University and began her career writing for art, political and lifestyle magazines. In 2011 she was headhunted by the art dealership Abbey House, where she developed and implemented a revolutionary scheme for the leasing of works of art. Abbey House was listed on the New Connect Stock Exchange Market. The main objective and mission of the company was to create an international platform for substantial growth of Central European Art.
Both the art industry and Aleksandra’s tourism business resulted in a good understanding of the culture of many countries in the European Union and numerous valuable networks. It is that understanding, experience and those networks that Aleksandra is currently actively utilising in order to roll out Hydrogen Utopia plants in the shortest possible time.
Howard White, Executive Director
Howard White, a seasoned entrepreneur and a significant investor in Powerhouse Energy. Howard has extensive fundraising experience and knowledge of the hydrogen market and is assisting HUI in its market development strategy. Howard has long established links with and introduced Linde to Hydrogen Utopia.
Paul Formanko, Non-Executive Director
Paul Formanko has been an independent member of the supervisory board of Slovenská Sporiteľňa, a subsidiary of Erste Group, Austria, since 2019. Paul chairs the Risk and Nomination Committee and advises senior management on regional and global banking issues and strategies.
Paul was a Managing Director and Head of CEEMEA Banks Equity Research at JP Morgan in London from 2013-2018, and Executive Director from 2003-13. During this period, Paul worked as a sell side analyst and investment advisor to regional and global institutional investors in relation to investments in Emerging Markets, with a focus on CEEMEA financial equities. With his international equity research team of analysts based in London, Warsaw, Moscow, Dubai and Johannesburg, Paul managed coverage of over 50 banks in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Africa including Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece among others, advising institutional investors and JP Morgan clients in relation to equity investments, capital raisings, privatisations, IPOs, mergers and acquisitions. Paul’s teams were consistently ranked among the top teams in the EMEA Institutional Investor and EXTEL rankings.
Paul started his career in banking at JP Morgan Investment Management in New York in 1994 before taking up a position as Executive Director at Goldman Sachs International in London in 1998. Paul was Head of Emerging Market banks at CLSA Global Emerging Markets in London in 2001 before moving to JP Morgan in London.
Steven Medlicott, Non-Executive Director
Steve Medlicott has been CEO of Fuel3D Technologies Limited since 2020, an Oxford University spinoff that develops 3D scanning solutions for a wide range of industries from medical research to optical retail. Fuel3D Technologies Limited has two wholly owned subsidiaries: (i) Biovolume Limited which developed the world’s first 3D imaging solution in partnership with a leading pharmaceutical company for visualising and measuring subcutaneous tumour growth; and (ii) FitsYou Limited which developed a low cost facial scanner that is sub-mm accurate, with contracted commercial applications including mask fitting and eyewear solutions.
After advising e-Therapeutics PLC, a drug discovery and development company listed on AIM, on its £40m fundraising in 2013, Steve was appointed Finance Director to the company from 2014 to 2020.
Steve has been Co-Founder and Director of Blueprint Advisors Ltd since 2012. Steve was a shareholder and Director of Water2Tricity Ltd. a company that provided structured solutions to the energy-from-waste-sector which was acquired by Powerhouse Energy in 2020. Between 2004 and 2011, Steve held key business development and sell-side analyst roles with KBC Peel Hunt, Singer Capital Markets Ltd, Altium Capital and Williams de Broe. He was voted the top Industrials Analyst in the Thomson Reuters Extel survey numerous times and was the top Pan-European Industrial Analyst in the 2011 Reuters Starmine Awards.
Steve is a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) having qualified with Cooper Deloitte (now PwC) in 1991.