As a countdown to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos, we’re profiling all 30 of our fellow 2011 Tech Pioneer award winners. Check our full profile series to learn more.
Topell Energy
What they do:
Ever hear of torrefaction? Basically, it’s a fancy word that means making solid bio-fuel (a very valuable resource) from woody biomass (just what it sounds like: trees and woody plants, a.k.a. forest management by-products). Torrefaction isn’t new, but Topell Energy’s method is: the company’s super-efficient process takes only 100 seconds per particle, whereas other systems take 30 minutes. The environmentally-friendly biofuel that results can be used directly in power plants in place of fossil coal. No costly upgrades required.
Why it’s cool:
Fossil fuels are bad–biomass is good. Topell Energy’s torrefaction breakthrough gives biomass a chance to topple fossil fuels once and for all–it’s cheap, efficient, environmentally friendly, and powerful. A win for biofuel is a win for the environment, so we should all be rooting for Topell Energy to succeed.
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