#144: Carbon-Negative Power with Vegetarian Rocket Engines from Ex-SpaceX Engineer — Brad Hartwig, CEO of Arbor
Aug 31, 2023
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Brad Hartwig, CEO of Arbor, discusses their carbon-negative power technology and the process of converting organic waste into clean energy. They explore topics like vegetarian rocket engines, eliminating smoke stacks, and monetizing revenue streams for zero-cost clean baseload power. They also touch on personal interests like surfing and the importance of finding balance in entrepreneurship.
Arbor's carbon-negative power technology, known as a 'vegetarian rocket engine,' converts organic waste into clean energy and fresh water, eliminating the need for smokestacks and reducing emissions.
Brad Hartwig emphasizes the importance of maintaining work-life balance, seeking mentorship, and staying connected to nature to drive sustainable success as an entrepreneur.
Deep dives
Arbor: Carbon Removal and Storage Through Waste Conversion
Arbor is a carbon removal and storage company that focuses on leveraging waste plant material to deliver carbon negative power. They convert organic waste, such as forest thinnings from wildfire mitigation activity, into clean energy and fresh water. By using a process called oxycombustion, they eliminate the need for a smokestack and only emit water and CO2, which can be easily stored underground. Arbor's modular design allows for efficient deployment and scalability, aiming to make carbon removal economically viable and effective in combating climate change.
The Importance of Preserving Earth as a Multi-Planetary Species
CEO and co-founder of Arbor, Brad Hartwig, emphasizes the significance of Earth and the need to preserve it while working towards becoming a multi-planetary species. Drawing from his experiences in search and rescue during climate-induced natural disasters, he highlights the devastating impacts and the importance of protecting our planet for future generations. While remaining bullish on becoming multi-planetary, Hartwig recognizes the uniqueness and value of Earth, urging bright minds to work towards its preservation.
Challenges and Innovations in Carbon Negative Power Generation
Arbor's carbon negative power technology, which they refer to as a 'vegetarian rocket engine,' combines elements from rocket engineering and bioenergy. By converting waste plant material into CO2 and water through an oxycombustion process, they generate clean base load power. This process eliminates the need for conventional smokestacks, reducing emissions and enhancing air quality. Arbor's approach addresses challenges associated with biomass sourcing, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, making carbon removal economically viable.
Building an Effective and Sustainable Company
Brad Hartwig emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation for personal and professional growth as an entrepreneur. He stresses the significance of maintaining a work-life balance, seeking mentorship, and surrounding oneself with a supportive network. Hartwig finds exercise and spending time in nature, such as through surfing, essential for maintaining mental clarity and gaining perspective. By staying focused on values and continuously learning from others, entrepreneurs can navigate challenges and drive sustainable success.
Arbor is a carbon removal and storage company delivering carbon-negative power that converts organic waste into clean energy and fresh water. Their CTO Andres Garcia-Clark and lots of other team members bring lessons learned from SpaceX and big energy giants.
In addition, he was a former…
Manufacturing Engineer for Crew Dragon Engines at SpaceX engineer
Test Pilot for Kitty Hawk’s 100% electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle
Chief Propulsion Engineer at the USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory
Member of the Marin County Search and Rescue
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🎙️ In this episode, we talked about:
How his work in search and rescue showed him the devastating personal and social impacts of climate-induced natural disasters
What he means by "vegetarian rocket engines"
What they did to eliminate the smoke stack from their power production systems
How the Earth breathes each year by absorbing 100 tons of carbon dioxide each spring and summer in biomass before releasing much of that back to the atmosphere in the fall and winter
Their ability to produce zero-cost clean baseload power due to monetizing other revenue streams like carbon removal credits and the 45Q tax credit
Their modular design to be “hardware that you can hug”
What surfing means to him as a way to recharge as a CEO
Knowing whether you’re climbing the right ladder
And lots more
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