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{{short description|Irish energy company}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Steorn Ltd.
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|type = [[Private limited company by shares|Private Limited]]
|slogan =
<!--|foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|2000}}<br />[[Dublin]], [[Ireland]]-->
| founded = 2000
| defunct = 2016
| fate = [[Liquidation|Liquidated]]
|location = Docklands Innovation Park, East Wall Road, Dublin 3, Ireland
<!--|key_people = Seán McCarthy (Chief Executive Officer)-->
|industry = Energy technology<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://orbo.com/ Orbo
|num_employees = 18<ref name="IEpost060521" />
|products = Charging and power systems, cellular telephones, research and development<ref name=autogenerated1 />
|revenue =
| net_income = € -1,794,648 (2005)<ref name="steorn-financial-summary"/>
| homepage = [http://www.steorn.com www.steorn.com]
}}
'''Steorn Ltd''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|t|j|ɔr|n}}) was a small, private [[Research and development|technology development]] company based in [[Dublin]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. In August 2006, it announced that it had developed a technology to provide "free, clean, and constant energy" via an apparent [[perpetual motion machine]], something which is contrary to the law of [[conservation of energy]], a fundamental principle of physics.<ref name="theage" />
Steorn challenged the [[scientific community]] to investigate
Steorn gave two public demonstrations of
In November 2016, the company laid off its staff, closed its facility, and prepared for [[liquidation]].<ref name=Whyte>{{cite news|first=Barry |last=Whyte |url=https://www.businesspost.ie/business/power-off-steorn-finally-energy-e23-million-funding-370313 |title=Power Off: Steorn finally out of energy after €23 million in funding |work=[[The Sunday Business Post]] |date=13
==History==
Steorn was founded in 2000<ref name="irish-exam">
{{Cite news
|
|archive-url
|archive-date = 21 August 2006
|
|
|
|access-date = 20 August 2006
| accessdate = 20 August 2006}}</ref> and, in October 2001, their website stated that they were a "specialist service company providing programme management and technical assessment advice for European companies engaging in [[Electronic commerce|e-commerce]] projects". Steorn is a [[Old Norse language|Norse]] word meaning to guide or manage.▼
|url-status = dead
|df = dmy-all
▲
In May 2006, ''[[The Sunday Business Post]]'' reported that Steorn was a former [[dot-com company]] which was developing a microgenerator product based on the same principle as [[Automatic watch|self-winding watches]], as well as creating [[e-commerce]] websites for customers. The company had also recently raised about €2.5 million from investors and was three years into a four-year development plan for its microgenerator technology.<ref name="IEpost060521">
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| work = [[The Sunday Business Post]]
| date = 20 May 2006
|
| date = 1 October 2006
| url = http://www.steorn.net/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17962&page=5&Comment_271002
| title = Energy Issues
| publisher = Steorn
|
| archive-date = 10 October 2007
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071010204739/http://www.steorn.net/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=17962&page=5&Comment_271002
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>▼
The company's investment history shows several share allotments for cash between August 2000 and October 2005,<ref name="cro-company-submissions">
{{cite web
| url = http://www.cro.ie/search/submissionse.asp?number=330508&BI=C
| archive-url = https://archive.today/20141005004811/http://www.cro.ie/search/submissionse.asp?number=330508&BI=C
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 5 October 2014
| title = Steorn Company Submissions
| publisher = Companies Registration Office
|
{{Cite news
|
|
|
|
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|access-date = 5 November 2008
| accessdate = 5 November 2008}}</ref> Steorn said that they would seek no further funding while attempting to prove their free-energy claim in order to demonstrate their genuine desire for validation.<ref name="SunTrib10082008" />▼
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081014201335/http://www.tribune.ie/article/2008/aug/10/free-energy-firm-generated-8m-in-funding/
|archive-date = 14 October 2008
|df = dmy-all
▲
===Liquidation===
In June 2016, the company informed shareholders that it had failed to meet expectations, that company founder Shaun (Seán) McCarthy was being replaced as CEO, and that operating costs were nearly €1 million per year.<ref name=Whyte /><ref name=Ferrier /> After investments totaling nearly €23 million over a ten
The liquidator, from [[Deloitte]], finished the liquidation process in May 2024, with €344,000 owed to creditors and only €80,000 in assets.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mulligan |first1=John |title=Irish Business Steorn finally goes supernova as company that promised ‘free energy’ completes liquidation process |url=https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/steorn-finally-goes-supernova-as-company-that-promised-free-energy-completes-liquidation-process/a202323699.html |access-date=14 May 2024 |publisher=Irish Independent |date=13 May 2024}}</ref>
==Free energy claim==
In August 2006, Steorn placed an advertisement in ''[[The Economist]]'' saying that
| url = http://dispatchesfromthefuture.com/images/steorn_economist_ad.jpg
| title = Copy of Steorn advertisement featured in The Economist, hosted by dispatchesfromthefuture.com
| format = [[JPEG]]
|
| url = http://environment.guardian.co.uk/energy/story/0,,1858172,00.html
| title = These men think they're about to change the world
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| date = 25 August 2006
| location=London
|
| first=Steve
| last=Boggan}}</ref>
===Views on the technology===
No specific details of the workings of the claimed technology were made public. McCarthy stated in a 2006 [[
{{Cite news
| url =
| title = Irish company challenges scientists to test 'free energy' technology
| work = Yahoo! News
| date = 18 August 2006
|
|
Following a meeting between McCarthy and Professor Sir [[Eric Ash]] in July 2007, Ash reported that "the ''Orbo'' is a mechanical device which uses powerful magnets on the rim of a rotor and further magnets on an outer shell."<ref name="EAsh">
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| work = BBC News
| date = 9 July 2007
|
{{
| url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/08/19/1155408071307.html
| title = Irish energy miracle 'a joke'
|
| date = 20 August 2006
|
| location=Melbourne
| first=Peter
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| date = 23 August 2006
| publisher = BBC
|
{{cite web
| last = Berger
| first = Eric
| author-link=Eric Berger (meteorologist)
| date = 19 August 2006
| url = http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2006/08/steorn_and_free_1.html
| title = Steorn and free energy: the plot thickens
| work = SciGuy
| publisher =
|
| url =
| title = Steorn gives up on free-energy, starts charging for USB-powered divining rods
| author = Thomas Ricker
| date = 25 June 2009
| publisher = [[Engadget]]
|
{{cite web
| last = Catone
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| title = Top 15 Web Hoaxes of All Time
| publisher = [[Mashable]]
|
===Jury process===
In its advertisement in ''The Economist'', Steorn challenged scientists to form an independent jury to test
| url = http://www.steorn.net/news/releases/?id=981
| title = Steorn announces plans for widespread deployment of its free energy technology post-validation
| publisher = Steorn
| date = 11 January 2007
| access-date = 6 July 2007
| accessdate = 6 July 2007}}</ref> Within 36 hours of the advertisement being published, 420 scientists contacted Steorn<ref name="guardian">{{Cite news▼
| archive-date = 27 June 2007
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070627090822/http://www.steorn.net/news/releases/?id=981
| url-status = dead
▲
| date = 20 August 2006
| url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1854305,00.html
| title = Scientists flock to test 'free energy' discovery
|
|
| location=London
| first=David
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| date = 1 December 2006
| url = http://www.steorn.net/news/releases/?id=911
|
| archive-date = 21 February 2007
| title = Steorn finalises contracts for jury to test its free energy technology
|
▲ | accessdate = 5 March 2009}}</ref> It was headed by Ian MacDonald, emeritus professor of electrical engineering at the [[University of Alberta]], and the process began in February 2007.<ref name="irish-times-24062009">{{Cite news
| url = http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0624/1224249416758.html
| title = Irish "energy for nothing" gizmo fails jury vetting
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| url = http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0704/breaking46.htm
| title = 'Free' energy technology goes on display
|
| date = 4 July 2007
|
{{Cite journal
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| last = Schirber
| title = Harsh light shines on free energy
|
| volume = 20
| issue = 8
| page = 9
|date=August 2007
| doi = 10.1088/2058-7058/20/8/15
▲}}</ref>
}}</ref>
A second demonstration ran between 15 December 2009 and February 2010 at the [[Waterways Visitor Centre]] in Dublin, and was [[Streaming media|streamed]] via Steorn's website.<ref name="ZD141209">{{cite
| date = 14 December 2009
| url = http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10014626o-2000331777b,00.htm
| title = Steorn sets up for second bite at perpetual cherry
|
| author = Rupert Goodwins
| access-date = 14 December 2009
| accessdate = 14 December 2009}}</ref> The demonstration was of a device powered by a [[rechargeable battery]]. Steorn said that the device produced more energy than it consumed and recharged the battery.<ref name="ZDNews151209">{{cite web▼
| archive-date = 16 December 2009
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091216131435/http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10014626o-2000331777b,00.htm
| url-status = dead
▲
| date = 15 December 2009
| url = http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,39938307-1,00.htm
| title = Steorn shows revolving Orbo to the public
|
| author = Rupert Goodwins
| access-date = 15 December 2009
| accessdate = 15 December 2009}}</ref> No substantive details of the technology were revealed and no independent evidence of Steorn's claim was provided.<ref name="ZDNews151209" />▼
| archive-date = 18 December 2009
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091218171743/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,39938307-1,00.htm
| url-status = dead
▲
On 1 April 2010 Steorn opened an online development community, called the Steorn Knowledge Development Base (SKDB), which
| date = 6 June 2010
| url = http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/free-energy-firm-to-make-over-2m-this-year-49707.html
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| publisher = ThePost.ie
| author = Gavin Daly
|
In May 2015, Steorn put an "Orbo PowerCube" on display behind the bar of a pub in Dublin. The PowerCube was a small box which the pub website claimed contained a "perpetual motion motor" which required no external power source. The cube was shown charging a [[mobile phone]]. Steorn claimed to be performing some "basic field trials" in undisclosed locations.<ref>{{cite
===Orbo phone charger===
Beginning in December 2015, Steorn began accepting orders for two products, including a phone charger,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://boingboing.net/2015/12/08/free-energy-for-sale-steorn.html| title=Free energy for sale: Steorn's impossible Orbo hits the market | work=boingboing.net | date=8 December 2015|
==See also==
{{
* [[Pseudoscience]]
* [[History of perpetual motion machines]]
==References==
<!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see
{{Reflist
{{Wikinews|Irish firm issues free energy challenge to scientists}}
▲{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}}
{{Good article}}
[[Category:
[[Category:Perpetual motion]]
[[Category:Public relations companies]]
[[Category:Technology companies established in 2000]]
[[Category:Technology companies disestablished in 2016]]
[[Category:
[[Category:2016 disestablishments in Ireland]]
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