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

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2023-02-16
- Length: 44m
- Episode: 21
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-02-16-mitigating-wildfire-risk-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-bret-richmond-director-of
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/rnkzqyk8-bret-richmond-mitigating-wildfire-risk

## Summary

Bret Richmond, Director of Engineering at C6 Forest to Farm, explains how the company mitigates wildfire risk and sequesters carbon by converting forest biomass into biochar. He details the engineering challenges of their pilot plant, including the decision to use continuous-feed pyrolysis reactors and off-the-shelf sawmill equipment to process logs into biochar for agricultural soil enrichment. Richmond discusses the system's mass and energy balances, the strategic placement of facilities to minimize transport emissions, and the company's current stage of fundraising and system design.

## Chapters

- [0:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-02-16-mitigating-wildfire-risk-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-bret-richmond-director-of#t=3) Introduction and Guest Background
- [8:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-02-16-mitigating-wildfire-risk-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-bret-richmond-director-of#t=535) Wildfire Causes and Carbon Cycle
- [14:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-02-16-mitigating-wildfire-risk-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-bret-richmond-director-of#t=856) C6's Biomass-to-Biochar Solution
- [25:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-02-16-mitigating-wildfire-risk-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-bret-richmond-director-of#t=1543) Pilot Reactor Experience and System Design
- [27:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-02-16-mitigating-wildfire-risk-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-bret-richmond-director-of#t=1652) Hardware Integration and Manufacturing Process
- [35:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-02-16-mitigating-wildfire-risk-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-bret-richmond-director-of#t=2115) Scaling Strategy and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- C6 Forest to Farm (company)
- Synapse (company)
- Washington Trails Association (company)
- Big Belly (company)
- Charm Industrial (company)
- Blue Dot Motorworks (company)
- Running Tide (company)
- pyrolysis reactor (tool)
- biochar (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [From biowaste to “biogold”](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-11-28-from-biowaste-to-biogold) (Catalyst)
- [Ag residue and carbon removal](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-09-25-ag-residue-and-carbon-removal) (Catalyst)
- [Sourcing biomass for carbon removal](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-19-sourcing-biomass-for-carbon-removal) (Catalyst)
- [147. Solar Fuel Reactor Generates Energy Out of Thin Air](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-11-07-147-solar-fuel-reactor-generates-energy-out-of-thin-air) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [ICYMI... HIBT Lab! Climeworks: Jan Wurzbacher](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-03-30-icymi-hibt-lab-climeworks-jan-wurzbacher) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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