By Jade Garrido, Altitude Accelerator Marketing/Communications Intern
Some people take the saying, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ quite seriously. Except the trash causes a worldwide cleanup bill of $1.2 billion and the treasure is fertilizer that promotes a healthier planet.
Meet president of CHAR Technologies, Andrew White, a man who built a business on his pure dislike for harmful waste. What started as a casual tour at a renewable energy plant, where methods of obtaining biogas were costly and environmentally damaging, led White to create SulfaCHAR™, a product that removes toxic hydrogen sulfide from renewable natural gas, called biogas, and turns the harmful waste into fertilizer.
White is the Altitude Accelerator’s first incubator graduate. His dedication to launching CHAR Technologies, led him to a $750,000 grant from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). The organization funds and mentors Canadian cleantech projects to help bring entrepreneurs innovations to market.
“SulfaCHAR is not only the most cost competitive solution, it is produced from a by-product feedstock, and it has an end-of-life agricultural application, unlike competing technologies whose end-of-life is more landfill,” says White.
Along with Whites $750,000 grant, CHAR Technologies recently announced the signing of a letter of intent for a proposed business combination with Cleantech Capital Inc., – a clean technology development firm.
“This new funding will bring CHAR Technologies into full commercial production, allowing us to rapidly penetrate the growing $2 billion renewable natural gas desulfurization market,” says White.
With the support from the Altitude Accelerator, CHAR Technologies has also gained a series of independent investors including the Ontario Centers of Excellence (OCE). And recently fostered a partnership with Cleantech Capital Inc., a company that helps drive renewable energy business’ to the global market.
With the $750,000 grant and existing financial resources from OCE and Cleantech, White hopes to expand his production system from producing one tonne of fertilizer per day to producing ten tonnes a day. The dramatic change in production will serve 100 renewable energy plants.
White is the man who thinks, what’s next? He’s the man who makes small steps and big leaps. He sees opportunities. He challenges the status quo. He works.
Andrew White built a business on his pure dislike for harmful waste. Andrew White is saving our planet.
Read more about White’s technology process featured in Reuters Canada.