U.S. Energy Department Invests $17 Million in Carbon Capture Technology

The U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Fossil Energy selected eleven projects for cost-shared research and development of carbon utilization technologies, according to a June 16 press release. The projects will receive $17 million to support the agency’s Carbon Utilization Program, which aims to cut emissions and convert waste carbon streams into valuable products.

The program’s research and development portfolio extends across private-public partnerships and university research grants, which are managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

The four primary carbon utilization pathways identified in the program include: carbon uptaking using algae, conversion into fuels and chemicals, mineralization into inorganic materials, and CO2 utilization as working fluid and other services. The program puts the R&D focus on the first three conversion pathways.

The funding includes:

• Approximately $7 million will be invested in the area of synthesis of value-added organix products. Participants include The Gas Technology Institute, North Carolina State University, Susteon Inc., The University of Delaware, The University of Kentucky.
• Around $6 million will be used in the area of carbon capturing CO2 with algae. Participants include: The University of Kentucky Research Foundation, The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
• A total of $4 million will be spent on the production of inorganic materials, including $2 million on maximizing CO2 uptake in concrete and cement. Participant will be The University of California, Los Angeles. The other $2 million will be invested in solid carbon products, the recipient of which will be SkyNano LLC.