A Longmont-Golden startup created by a group of volunteer Ball Aerospace and Technologies employees is creating a coal alternative from wood chips. The roughly six-years-in-the-making Transform Energy hopes that its engineering discovery will offer cleaner fuel while creating jobs around the world.
Transform Energy was founded by Stephan Reckie and the now-passed Paul Polak, an entreperneur and author who took an altruistic approach to business. Since 2015, the startup has been working on prototype kilns to turn bio-waste into “green coal.” The startup envisions franchising kilns to rural communities in other countries, letting different communities create jobs and a marketable product.
The torch has since been passed to Alex Mulvaney, CEO of Transform Energy, and COO Kathie Michie to lead the startup that’s corporately headquartered in Golden with the majority of its research in Longmont. Reckie and Michie also lead a non-profit Transform Poverty Global, which was founded by Polak to support entreperneurs seeking solutions to poverty.
Currently Transform Energy is working on its prototype kilns on undisclosed land in Longmont. The kilns use a process called torrefication, which Mulvaney compares to roasting coffee. Torrefication applies high temperatures to biomass such as wood chips, removing water and volatile contents and increasing its fuel density.
Polak’s goal was to place kilns in 100,000 sites, Mulvaney said. Michie added that she got involved with Transform Energy to help carry out Polak’s vision.
“He really wanted to keep it simple, simple design that really could impact the world in poverty and eliminate that, and address climate change so just kind of being able to carry that forward it's been really an honor,” Michie said
Research is focused on mesquite wood chips at the time since Transform Energy is eyeing Gujarat, India as its first test site once research is complete and funding is sourced.
Different mesquite species are native to dry areas in the Americas. Since it's an invasive species in India and a fast growing tree, Transform Energy is experimenting with locally-sourced mesquite trees.The startup also claims that when burned correctly, its coal alternative mimics nature’s carbon cycle with less climate impact than coal.
However, Mulvaney added that the Transform Energy kilns aren’t limited to mesquite chips. The startup is looking at researching rice straw, coconut husks, coffee grounds and other biomass sources.
Mulvaney said each kiln site has potential to produce seven tonnes — a metric ton — of coal replacement per day and create 20 to 30 jobs.
“What’s great about Gujarat is they have a pretty sizable industrial base, so they do lots of energy intensive ones like textile manufacturing or restaurants, commercial bakeries or even coal power plants,” Mulvaney said. “So in Gujarat, there's a large opportunity to connect to the farmers, generate jobs and they can sell a product to the industrial base.”
Transform Energy plans on launching its first test sites next year and expanding as they find more partners. The startup used a $20,000 grant to build the commercial kiln prototype, but it has an ultimate goal of $1.5 million seed money to get to market, Michie said. Transform Energy plans on having three funding rounds of $500,000.
Mulvaney said future accomplishments of Transform Energy will not be solely based on profitability for the company.
“You can measure startup success in dollars — of which there will be plenty, it's very profitable — but also in jobs created and tonnes of carbon dioxide not emitted,'' Mulvaney said.
