From biowaste to “biogold”

Catalyst · 9 Jun 2022 · 40m

What this episode covers

Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, discusses the complex role of biomass in decarbonization, distinguishing between waste biomass (forestry, agricultural, and municipal solid waste) and dedicated crops. He outlines various conversion technologies, including gasification for hydrogen and fuels, pyrolysis for biochar, and incineration for electricity, while highlighting startups like Charm Industrial and Running Tide pursuing Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS). Friedmann argues that at sufficient carbon prices, sequestering carbon via BiCRS is more valuable than generating energy, though he acknowledges the logistical challenges of sourcing distributed waste at scale without triggering eco-colonialism or food competition.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies: Carbon Direct, Charm Industrial, Running Tide, Energy Hub, Bloom Energy, Arcadia, Advanced Energy Economy, Siemens, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Yale Forestry School, Stripe, Frontier Initiative, Saulya Gen, Drax, Moot

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From biowaste to “biogold”

What this episode covers

Most relevant to

Topics

Mentioned

Related episodes from other shows

Putting Oil Back Where It Belongs with Peter Reinhardt, CEO & Co-Founder of Charm Industrial

Mitigating Wildfire Risk to Reduce CO2 Emissions with Bret Richmond, Director of Engineering at C6 Forest to Farm

Clean Hydrogen on Demand with Max Mankin, CTO and Co-founder of Modern Electron, and Mothusi Pahl, Vice President of Business Development at Modern Electron