Harris Group Inc

Harris Group provides full-service engineering and consulting services in the production of energy and chemicals from renewable feedstocks through sustainable technologies.

Overview of Harris Group Inc.

The company's experience encompasses developing processes that convert industrial, agricultural and municipal biomass feedstocks into ethanol, biodiesel,renewable diesel and gasoline, biogas such as methane, commodity chemicals, and other saleable products and byproducts.

Harris Group¹ has worked alongside industry innovators, national laboratories to deliver process and design improvements for a variety of applications. The company's goal is to make biofuels and biomass-derived chemicals? competitive with fossil fuels and their chemical derivatives.

It provides strategic support from feasibility studies through plant start-up, with core services of engineering and plant design. Specialty services include process conceptualization and development, research management and coordination, basic and detailed engineering, owner's engineering?, financial due diligence?, feasibility evaluation?, process improvement? and control systems integration?.

Harris Group is active in next-generation biofuels technologies, and its customers include many of the top biofuels companies. It was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy^citation? to provide independent engineering oversight on some of America’s first biorefineries which are being partially funded by the DOE.

Harris Group is familiar with established biofuels technologies, and provides balance-of-plant engineering? for providers of traditional biofuels processes such as grain ethanol? and biodiesel.

In established plants, we provide solutions to incorporate alternative processes and technologies or improve operational efficiency. For next generation technologies, Harris Group provides leadership in process development and engineering.

Market Areas

• Development and Commercialization of Next-Generation Processes
• Balance-of-Plant for Traditional Biofuels (grain ethanol, biodiesel)
• Optimization/Retrofits of Existing Biofuels Plants
• Independent Technology Assessment

Services Overview

• Research Management and Coordination
• Process Conceptualization and Development
• Feasibility Studies
• Front End Engineering
• Detailed Engineering Design – All Disciplines
• Permitting Assistance
• Program Management
• Owner’s Engineering
• Independent Engineering
• Independent Technology Assessment

Services

Detailed Engineering Design – All Disciplines. As a multi-disciplinary full service engineering company with broad-based process expertise, Harris Group has a reputation for highly responsive service and the ability to execute small and mid-sized projects better than large EPC firms. It is able to efficiently and effectively carrying out front end and detailed engineering design in preparation for, and in support of, project construction is key to our customer’s success.

Feasibility Studies

Before undertaking a major capital project, many questions must be answered about the technical and financial viability of the project:

• How much will the project cost?
• How long will it take to complete?
• How quickly will the original investment be recovered?
• What will be the return on investment (ROI)?

The need to systematically address these topics leads naturally to the use of an engineering tool called a feasibility study in the early stages of a project. The feasibility study provides an opportunity to critically evaluate a business plan by analyzing the risks and returns of a capital project.

Front End Engineering

When project feasibility has been established and the decision is made to proceed, a preliminary or front end engineering effort is launched to establish a solid project definition and scope from which detailed engineering can proceed efficiently.

Front end engineering advances the project from a rudimentary vision to a broad-based engineering effort. Initially, key process equipment, utility requirements and a project site are identified. Subsequently, permit applications are prepared, detailed quotes and delivery for key components and specialized equipment are obtained and a project schedule is prepared.

Preliminary Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), equipment and instrument lists, and a plant layout are developed by a coordinated effort of different engineering disciplines.

Solidifying the design and scope of the project at this stage is critical for future project success, avoiding the cost escalation and project delays associated with projects that proceed to detailed engineering design too soon.

Independent Engineering

Harris Group provides independent engineering reviews for owners, entrepreneurs, project developers, investors and lenders.

The purpose of the independent engineering review is to objectively analyze and quantify the commercial and technical risks involved in undertaking complex capital projects.

Independent Technology Assessment

Harris Group provides independent technology assessments for entrepreneurs, project developers, and investors. The purpose of the independent technology assessment is to objectively analyze the merits and risks associated with investing in or applying a given technology or process. As a full-service engineering company, Harris Group is qualified to independently assess current and novel technologies in a broad range of fields.

Owner’s Engineering

Harris Group offers every engineering service an owner would and should perform in support of project execution if the owner had the appropriate staff and resources to do so. We call this Owner’s Engineering. On behalf of the owner, we put together a virtual engineering team that supports the owner in every discipline and in every phase of the project.

The scope of the owner’s engineer can vary depending upon the specific requirements of a project and the owner’s ability to execute various tasks. Initially, owner’s engineering can include process guidance, development and technology evaluation. The owner’s engineer can then participate in project definition and provide a process assessment. At the very least, owner’s engineering should entail a feasibility study, preliminary engineering, and a detailed scope and estimate. These front-end engineering activities are of vital importance to the overall outcome of the project.

Permitting Assistance

An often overlooked, but long-lead critical component to the success of a project is permit acquisition. Harris Group can take a leadership role in helping an owner acquire the appropriate permits at the right time in order to keep a project on track.

Harris Group can provide permitting assistance in the following ways:

• Develop permitting strategy as part of overall project plan
• Permit and code compliance review
• Develop documents and studies to obtain environmental permits
• Meet with agencies and assist in negotiating permit conditions

Process Conceptualization and Development

Process conceptualization and development is an iterative process applying the results of a well-defined research program to develop a commercially viable process. Harris Group's process engineering team averages more than 20 years of broad-based experience, from the laboratory bench to plant operations. With the support of other engineering disciplines within our company and our expert partners, Harris Group process engineers can tackle process conceptualization and development in any field.

Program Management

Harris Group works with owners to identify, manage, and provide engineering and project management services at each stage of a capital project. Program management is the ability to lead the coordinated and efficient execution of any or all phases of a project, from the concept stage, through to commercial operation. This incorporates many of the duties traditionally performed by large, vertically-integrated organizations with internal project resources and a depth of talent not often seen today.

Program management usually includes project planning, site selection, permit coordination, estimating, project management, site support coordination, and contract administration.

Research Management and Coordination

Research is a fundamental early stage project activity that requires involvement and input across many disciplines from the outset – not just researchers. Research management and coordination involves developing and executing a well-defined yet flexible action plan and bringing together the right people at the right time to make critical decisions in accordance with established milestones.

As an experienced organization in renewable fuels and chemicals, Harris Group can help manage and coordinate a research plan that makes sense for your organization.