Project Spotlight: Kivalina Biogenic Refinery
The Kivalina Biogenic Refinery project, a collaboration between Launch Alaska Portfolio company Biomass Controls and the Northwest Arctic Borough community of Kivalina, Alaska is leading the way in sustainable solutions to combat the challenges posed by climate change and promote a green economy in Alaska.
A graduate of Launch Alaska’s 2020-2021 Tech Deployment Track accelerator program, Biomass Controls, based in Woodstock, CT, develops solutions to water and sanitation challenges by generating energy, clean water, and biochar products from waste streams. The Kivalina Biogenic Refinery is a compact, community-scale, relocatable biomass refinery for cold climate human solid waste treatment.
The project’s roots trace back to 2015 when Biomass Controls started working with the Kivalina community to find a water treatment system that would prevent waste from polluting the local environment, establishing a new biogenic refinery. The biogenic refinery converts human waste into energy and other beneficial byproducts, including biochar, a valuable soil amendment that protects against erosion. After briefly shutting down during the Covid-19 pandemic, Biomass Controls, in partnership with Launch Alaska and the U.S. Department of Energy, successfully pursued a federal Congressionally Directed Spending Request supported by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski to support new services and training for Kivalina residents to re-start and operate the biogenic refinery.
Jeff Hallowell, Biomass Controls’ founder & CEO, hopes to establish a spare parts warehouse in Kotzebue (the nearby hub community), and the development of a potential training center in Alaska to open possibilities for future cold climate projects. He says the Kivalina project is an important step in creating a clean, circular economy that empowers local workers across the state. By providing training to Kivalina's residents, skilled individuals will be able to contribute to the region's sustainable economic development.
This project was made possible through continued collaboration with Kivalina Tribal Council, Teck Alaska, City of Kivalina, and NANA Village Economic Development—all partners being driven by a shared commitment to improve the quality of life in a community threatened by climate change.
Looking ahead to the next year and a half, the project aims to complete technical updates, train new operators, and put the reactor back into operation. The positive impacts of the project are already evident, with more than half of the federal grant funds going directly to Kivalina community members. The Kivalina Biogenic Refinery is not only offering an innovative solution to environmental challenges, but also paving the way for a sustainable future for the residents of Kivalina and beyond.
