For many years now Andrea Rossi has been working towards commercialization of the E-Cat. When he introduced his invention with Sergio Focardi in early 2011 he demonstrated a low temperature model which was used in the first shipping container plant that was demonstrated later that year. Soon after that came the ‘Hot Cat’, a higher temperature model of the E-Cat which was the basis of the plant that ran in the 1-year test in Doral, Florida from 2015-2016. And while he was working long hours to keep that plant operating he began work on a new version of the E-Cat which became the plasma-based QX reactor which was introduced at the Stockholm presentation in November 2017. That QX ran at 20 Watts, but has since developed into the E-Cat SK, which Rossi states now is twice the size of the Stockholm model, and is rated at 10 kW.
Now it’s the end of 2018, and Andrea Rossi says now he says he has settled on this particular model of the E-Cat to go to production with. Should we expect Rossi to change his mind again, and come up with yet another iteration of the E-Cat to build, test and develop? We can’t say for sure it won’t happen, but personally I don’t expect it to change now. Rossi is not getting any younger and I sense he feels he has to make a move now if he is to accomplish his goals in the commercial realm within his working lifetime. I think it is now E_Cat SK or bust.
I personally think we now are moving into a new phase of the E-Cat story. For many years now Andrea Rossi has been working solo, or with a very small team of assistants. Most people either haven’t heard of him or if they have, have dismissed him as either delusional or fraudulent — thus his profile has been relatively low.
I believe Rossi is an extremely hardworking and accomplished inventor and engineer, and that the E-Cat as a remarkable device that works very well. However, I don’t think that necessarily guarantees Leonardo Corporation will succeed commercially. If he really does start building and installing E-Cat SK plants, then I expect he is going to get a lot more attention from all kinds of areas. If he is selling energy cheaper than competitors he will certainly get their attention. He will get the attention of potential customers looking to cut their energy bills. He will get the attention of scientists who will try to figure out how he is doing what he is doing and they will want to know if he is still carrying on some kind of fraud. As the word spreads he will get the attention of people in the media, and government who will wonder what this will mean for future energy production. Surely people will be wondering if the E-Cat actually works by a previously unknown method, is it safe? Competitors in the energy industry will certainly be asking this question as they consider what a cheaper alternative will mean for their business.
I can’t predict what will happen going forward, but I think that if the E-Cat plants work well, then there will be a new set of challenges facing Andrea Rossi and Leonardo Corporation, which I would expect they are anticipating. From a business point of view you obviously need attention if you want to make sales, but for many years Rossi has taken great efforts to ensure secrecy surrounding the E-Cat, and has been very successful in this effort so far. With a commercial campaign ahead it is going to be harder for him to work in peace and quiet and avoid a much greater amount of scrutiny.
