Compagnie Nationale du Rhone
2 rue André Bonin, Lyon, Rhône, 69004, France
Overview
For 80 years, CNR has stood out due to its unique development model based on the redistribution of the wealth generated by the river to the territories through which it flows. Based on a careful balance between economic efficiency and the public interest, public and private capital, green electricity production, environmental preservation and the development of the territories crossed by the Rhone, it meets today’s challenges for energy transition. CNR is the historic producer of hydroelectricity on the Rhone and has made the strategic choice to devote itself exclusively to producing renewable electricity (water, wind, sun) and extend its activities beyond the Rhone Valley. France’s leading producer of 100% green electricity, CNR has also developed expertise in managing intermittent energies, from forecasting to selling them on the market to clients. It also acts in favour of sustainable electric mobility. Discover CNR Engineering’s expertise acquired from 80 years’ experience of developing and operating the Rhone, and from managing its clients’ projects. The excellence of its knowhow in hydroelectric and river engineering is recognised not only in France but worldwide. For certain of its missions, CNR relies on its integrated laboratory, the Hydraulic Structure Behaviour Analysis Centre (CACOH). CNR has built and manages 18 industrial and port sites on the Rhone, between Lyon and the Mediterranean. These multimodal sites (equipped with river, rail and road links) are 20 km apart and form a unique and closely knit network with direct access to the ports of Fos-Marseille and Sète, the Mediterranean and the world. In addition, rail links with northern Europe make this network a strategic transport corridor between the northern and southern countries of the continent.
- Total investments
- 1
- Lead investments
- 0
- Investments · 12mo
- 0
- Active investors
- 2
Sector focus
- Electrical Distribution
- Hydroelectric
- Renewable Energy
- Service Industry
Investment portfolio
- Sweetch Energy
Participated · Series A · Dec 2023
Sweetch Energy develops INOD®, a nanoscale-membrane and electrode system that harnesses osmotic energy to produce clean electricity from salt water. The technology uses high ion-selectivity membranes made from bio-sourced materials paired with exclusive electrode systems to enable industrial-scale power generation. The company is finalising a first demonstrator on the Rhône delta in partnership with Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) and plans to expand R&D, deploy initial industrial assembly lines, and pursue global expansion, especially in Europe and North America. Led by CEO Nicolas Heuzé, Sweetch works closely with French research institutions including teams of Professor Lydéric Bocquet (CNRS, ENS). Financially, the company has attracted industrial, deeptech and cleantech backers as well as public support to advance its technology deployment. Sweetch Energy is a Rennes-based climatetech company founded in 2015 that develops INOD® osmotic-energy systems to produce electricity from the salinity difference between river and sea water. Its core product uses a new generation of nanoscale membranes combined with proprietary electrode systems to achieve high ion selectivity and transport, and the membranes are made from bio-sourced, environmentally friendly materials. Osmotic energy is weather-independent and the company emphasizes that deltas and estuaries worldwide release nearly 30,000 TWh per year, positioning INOD® as a potentially large-scale renewable source. Sweetch has secured €6 million in financing led by EDF Hydro and CNR, with historical investors Go Capital, Demeter Investment Managers and Future Positive Capital participating, to support large-scale deployment. The company is partnering with CNR to validate INOD® on a pilot site in 2023 and with EDF Hydro to identify industrial-scale sites in France and overseas, including plans to exploit the Rhône delta—estimated at nearly 4 TWh/year. With this funding and industrial partnerships, Sweetch aims to accelerate commercialization and build the resources needed to rapidly bring osmotic electricity to market.