The majority of this steam is routed through Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs), devices that regulate steam flow but lose the potential energy present in the steam in the process. This lost potential, known as ‘exergy’, often amounts to as much as 160 kW of instantaneous power per valve, amounting to nearly ₹66,000 crore in a year. Wankel Energy’s ‘Phoenix Expander’ rotary device addresses this inefficiency by capturing the exergy otherwise wasted by PRVs and converting it into clean electricity, without requiring any modification to existing plant infrastructure.
Each Phoenix (steam expander) unit typically achieves payback within 6-24 months, thereafter delivering recurring annual savings of up to ₹50 lakh per valve. Beyond financial benefits, each installation reduces over 180 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, making it one of the most impactful climate technologies available per square metre deployed.
Satyanarayanan Seshadri, Co-Founder and Advisor, Wankel Energy Systems, and faculty head, The Energy Consortium, IIT Madras, said, “Steam is indispensable to these industries, yet its potential remains significantly under utilised. By converting wasted steam pressure into reliable, clean power, the Phoenix Expander establishes a new benchmark for industrial sustainability and efficiency.”
Supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, Wankel’s story began as a campus idea, nurtured by grants and government backing, before growing into an innovation platform.
Ashis Nayak, Founding Partner at Shastra VC, said, “Wankel Energy Systems is one of the most technically rigorous and impact-aligned deep-tech startups we have seen. They have brought fundamental and advanced engineering to solve real-world inefficiencies with a clean, scalable business model.”
Balachandran Raju, Co-Founder, Wankel Energy Systems, said, “Our immediate goal is to deploy 6 plus Phoenix Expanders across diverse industrial sectors and evaluate their performance in real-world conditions in the coming months. Since every sector operates uniquely, these deployments will help us generate case studies and customer insights to build confidence for expansion. In the first year, we intend to focus on Tamil Nadu, ensuring close proximity support, before scaling to other regions.”
