# The story of steam

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2025-06-19
- Length: 32m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam

## Summary

Addison Stark, co-founder and CEO of AtmosZero, argues that decarbonizing industrial steam is a critical but overlooked opportunity, accounting for roughly 30% of industrial heat in the U.S. He explains why he believes 'waste heat' capture is a distraction due to high capital costs and lack of standardization, advocating instead for standardized, air-source heat pumps. Stark details the thermodynamic differences between saturated and superheated steam, the economics of resistive boilers versus heat pumps, and how regional natural gas prices in the U.S. versus Europe impact the viability of electrification strategies like thermal storage.

## Chapters

- [2:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=138) Introduction: Addison Stark and AtmosZero
- [3:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=234) The History and Role of Industrial Steam
- [6:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=376) Saturated vs. Superheated Steam and Temperature Gradients
- [10:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=636) Economics of Steam: Fuel Costs and OpEx
- [15:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=909) Electrification Pathways: Resistive Boilers and Heat Pumps
- [20:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=1208) Why Waste Heat is a 'Waste of Time'
- [25:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=1507) Technical Challenges of High-Temperature Air-Source Heat Pumps
- [27:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-06-19-the-story-of-steam#t=1667) Regional Economics: US Spark Spread vs. European Energy Security

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- AtmosZero (company)
- Babcock and Wilcox (company)
- Energy Impact Partners (company)
- Nordstream (other)
- EnergyHub (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Andrei Klochko: Reversible Heat Pumps, Decarbonization, and Earth vs Mars | Hard Tech Podcast #6](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hard-tech-podcast/2023-06-14-andrei-klochko-reversible-heat-pumps-decarbonization-and-earth-vs-mars-hard-tech) (Hard Tech Podcast)
- [Decarbonizing Industrial Heat with John O’Donnell, CEO at Rondo Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-05-11-decarbonizing-industrial-heat-with-john-odonnell-ceo-at-rondo-energy) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Decarbonizing Heating and Housing Spaces: A Conversation with Jane Melia, Co-Founder and CEO of Harvest](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-08-03-decarbonizing-heating-and-housing-spaces-a-conversation-with-jane-melia-co-found) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Decarbonizing Heavy Industry: Antora Energy’s 2400°C Thermal Batteries](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-04-24-decarbonizing-heavy-industry-antora-energys-2400-c-thermal-batteries) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [How a User-Installable Heat Pump Can Decarbonize Apartment Buildings: Insights from Vince Romanin, CEO of Gradient](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-10-12-how-a-user-installable-heat-pump-can-decarbonize-apartment-buildings-insights-fr) (Hardware to Save a Planet)

## Citing this page

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