Harvest Power, Triple T Trucking work toward zero waste

Today, Harvest Power’s partnership with New Hampshire-based Triple T Trucking was featured in the Brattleboro Reformer. The story, by staff writer Chris Garofalo, presented plans to create an organics to energy and recycling station in the New England area that works toward a common goal of zero waste while creating renewable energy.

Harvest CEO Paul Sellew was interviewed for the piece. He explained that both the renewable energy and compost production model for this project differ from earlier methods of eliminating waste:

To remove organic materials from the waste stream, Harvest will produce high quality compost products while generating electricity from food and yard waste.

“So our view is to combine these two, increase diversion from landfills, recycle these organic materials and beneficially reuse them through the production of renewable energy and high-value compost,” said Sellew. “We think this is the next evolution in the development of the organics industry in the United States.”

The company presently operates a similar facility in British Colombia, Canada, but has several others that are expected to go online by the end of the year.

The story also does a clear and concise job of explaining the technology behind this plan.

Harvest uses High Solids Anaerobic Digestion (HSAD) at its facilities, the degradation and stabilization of organic materials with a solids content between 25 and 50 percent. By comparison, a wet anaerobic digestion system processes the same materials with a solids content between only 2 and 15 percent.

Anaerobic digestion reflects the same process that occurs in a cow’s stomach — using similar micro-organisms in a large chamber and capture the biogas as it is produced in an ideal environment.

Through HSAD, Harvest operators break down food and yard waste using naturally occurring bacteria to produce renewable biogas energy. Workers then aerobically compost the remaining digestate to capture the nutrients and organic matter to create a high quality compost-based product.

The partnership with Triple T represents a mutual interest in environmental sustainability for this region. Though the initiative has the ability to create jobs, improve air quality and boost recycling efforts, the article also notes the challenges yet to come.

Read the story in its entirety here. Let us know your thoughts.

Harvest Power featured at MHT Clean Technology Forum April 29

Harvest Power will be among those companies showcased at the third annual Mass High Tech Clean Technology Forum in Boston. The event is set to run 7:30-9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 29, at the Seaport Hotel.

This year’s theme – Work, Live, Sustain – explores the ways clean technology are applied in businesses, homes and communities. “We’re honored to represent the growing clean technology leadership role Massachusetts is playing in the world,” said Paul Sellew, founder and CEO of Harvest Power. “Harvest is using technology to create a new lifecycle for organic waste, one in which communities can reap valuable resources – both quality compost and renewable energy – from food and yard scraps that too often end up in the trash.”

The event includes a networking breakfast, state of the industry report by Mass High Tech publisher Douglas Banks, an interactive panel and the technology showcase, which features emerging New England based clean technology companies. Harvest Power co-founder Nathan Gilliland will represent the company. The event’s keynote speaker is Patrick Cloney, executive director of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Tickets, $75, can be purchased here.

Agricultural startups represent the next frontier for venture capitalists

In case you missed it, yesterday’s Wall Street Journal featured an article on the rise of agriculture-related startups in Silicon Valley and beyond. The story included Harvest Power and featured our CEO Paul Sellew.

Silicon Valley is returning to its roots. The tech-centric area, once known for farming, has seen a sharp rise in the number of agriculture-related startups.

According to the article, written by John Letzing, U.S. venture investments in agriculture and forestry rose from five in 2000 to 11 last year, bringing in more than $42 million in 2009.

Harvest Power serves as a strong example of the promising growth in our industry. Here is an excerpt:

“Venture capitalist Amol Deshpande (of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers) helped start Harvest Power Inc. in 2008; the firm uses organic materials to produce compost for the farming industry. Harvest Power Chief Executive Paul Sellew says the Waltham, Mass., company closed its first funding round last year and has now raised more than $40 million.

“Kleiner did its homework before approaching Mr. Sellew, a 25-year veteran of agriculture-related businesses, says the CEO. ‘They knew about my background,’ he says.”

Read the full article here.

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