December 2022
2022 has been a year of reemergence for APL. After two years where our markets and customer projects largely stopped due to the pandemic, we’re happy to see your projects starting again, and a similar return to near full activity across APL departments. We’re also simply pleased to still be here after a decade+—despite a few bumps and bruises—but moreso with vastly advanced machines vs a decade ago, and incredible memories of all the people we’ve met around the world, during this ongoing story of taming gasification for general use and global impact.
All of us have been outliers in this work for years; but finally our era of climate wilding, fossil fuel replacement, and transition to regenerative and circular stewardship, has moved our solutions to center stage. The climate clock tells us we have just nine years left before hitting 1.5°C of global heating, and looking in just about any direction finds some system in a critical state and threatening to bite. It is now prime time for the solutions we’ve long been preparing.
APL began this journey with the broad notion of creating “mechabolic” machines which participate in the carbon cycle in a bio-imitative manner, while adding human value outputs along the way. Waste organic matter has proven a tremendous resource and place to center mechabolic engagements. Byproduct biomass is captured carbon and stored solar energy, often with a whole range of minerals and microbes along for the ride and ready to do useful work, beyond generating electricity. Every year APL expands further into these native resource potentials of biomass, transforming them into useful power and products, while drawing down carbon and regenerating soil in the process.
This year we saw the Carbon Credits Markets finally grow into a strong financial signal for the carbon management outcome of this work. The carbon credit line item in a project proforma can now be as large as the electricity or biochar sale line items. Similarly, public funding to accelerate deployment of these solutions is expanding on all fronts, from local city efforts to national and international mega programs.
The work of our era is not just to invent, but more importantly deploy at scale the equipment and projects that make these transition solutions reality. All the pieces are in place for a big 2023 and beyond for APL solutions and your ability to access them with new financial rewards.
End of Year Deposits for 2023 Shipments
We are currently planning for 2023 deliveries and realistically there is a limit to just how many Power Pallets we can deliver considering the rise in interest and ongoing supply chain challenges. So if you’ve been on the fence about purchasing equipment, you’re encouraged to place a $10k fully refundable deposit and book your spot in the production queue. Booking these orders will also help us negotiate better price and delivery terms with our various supply chain partners.
Power Pallet
We’ve focused on product reliability and implemented changes on the Power Pallet (PP30 v2.0), including a new coolant draining and filling process, new gasketing materials, and updating the design of the filter heat exchanger (PG HX) cleaning mechanism.
We’ve focused on product reliability and implemented changes on the Power Pallet (PP30 v2.0), including a new coolant draining and filling process, new gasketing materials, and updating the design of the filter heat exchanger (PG HX) cleaning mechanism.
With support from the California Energy Commissions we also completed more work on our Containerized Biomass Microgrid system where we integrate two Power Pallets with other balance of systems components such as a feedstock conveyor and electrical components such as Level 2 EV charging capability in a 20” container. The first units will be deployed to Green Waste Recycle Yard in Richmond, California in 2023. The CBM system will only be available in North America until such time we have OEM and Licensing partners in other regions.
Chartainer
We are very excited about our Chartainer product which we are developing to meet customer requests in forestry agriculture and urban communities for systems that can process woodwaste at a higher rate. This combined heat and biochar system has an expected half ton/hr biomass input capacity and 20% biochar conversion rate. Please fill in this form if you are interested in the system.
SkyCarbon Biochar
Very pleased to inform everyone that the most recent biochar produced from wood chips by our Power Pallet and CharTainer systems has been certified by the International Biochar Initiative (IBI).
Our test results easily meet the IBI requirements and is a testament to the effectiveness of our gasification process that scales across both product platforms. More specifically for carbon removal we are seeing Carbon Content > 94%, H:C Ratio < 0.3 (highly durable, 80% after 100 years), and PAHs < 0.3 mg/kg.
Path to 1 GT Carbon Removal: Sites Needed
Solving the climate crisis will require massive amounts of solutions and projects over the next decade. We are working with financing and project development partners in developing turnkey project offerings that would make it simple for customers to access our solutions. Please fill in this form so we can pre-qualify your site and develop a deployment schedule over the next few years.
Outreach Events
Verge
APL participated in VERGE 2022, a climate tech event held by Green Biz in San Jose. Our team successfully integrated our Power Pallets with other distributed energy resources to connect to the grid and provide a real-time power generation demonstration for enthusiasts, government representatives and investors.
Open House
We recently hosted our first open house since shuttering our doors due to COVID. We were excited to bring back a tradition of public outreach and fellowship at our Berkeley headquarters and will extend the invitation to future events via this mailing list. If you’re in the Bay Area, definitely come check us out and hear talks on our climate focus and upcoming projects.
Community STEM Education
As part of a regional program to get high school students enthusiastic about STEM careers, APL hosted two groups of youth who toured our headquarters and asked questions about how to enter the field of renewable energy and regenerative work.
Community Garden Support
Our community carbon drawdown initiative–Local Carbon Network–continues to supply our SkyCarbon Biochar along with compost tumblers and training in their use for regenerative agriculture to community gardens around the world.
Best Wishes!
From all members of staff we wish each and every one of you a fantastic end of year holiday, please ignore your laptops and enjoy family, fun and festivities until next year!
With love and enthusiasm,
—The APL Team