Commercialisation, Pilots, FOAK & Scale

A technology that works in a pilot still has a long way to go before anyone buys it at scale. This subject follows that journey. It covers what first-of-a-kind means in climate tech, how a first plant differs from a pilot, from a demonstration and from the plants that follow it, and why a successful pilot often fails to become a purchase.

It then goes into the project itself, the six cases a first commercial project has to make, the offtake agreements that support it, the many customers behind one plant, and how to present risk honestly to lenders and partners. The pieces draw on public projects in carbon removal, green steel, sustainable aviation fuel and recycling, alongside the capital conversations at The Decision Room in Zürich. A final map shows how the story changes from lab to market.

Start with what FOAK means, then read why pilots stall and why first plants are hard to finance.