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New Funding Initiatives Propelling Carbon Dioxide Conversion Technologies
Initiatives Aim to Broaden Market Opportunities for Carbon-Derived Solutions
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), has unveiled a significant investment totaling $13.7 million aimed at enhancing large-scale processes that transform carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into sustainable and economically advantageous products. This initiative is backed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and aims to establish advanced conversion technologies capable of generating essential fuels, construction materials, and other carbon-rich products from captured CO2 emissions.
Supporting Economic Growth While Mitigating Emissions
“The sectors producing chemicals and refining petroleum are crucial to both the American economy and our energy independence,” commented Brad Crabtree, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. “With these investments in carbon conversion technology, we aim to stimulate economic growth while simultaneously creating job opportunities—delivering lower-emission alternatives within these fundamental industries.”
Focus Areas for Selected Projects
The funded initiatives will concentrate on two primary areas: (1) conducting engineering-scale assessments of electrochemical systems designed to convert CO2 emissions into value-added products like polymer/resin precursors, specialized chemicals, and commodity-grade chemicals; and (2) undertaking feasibility analyses regarding the retrofitting of refineries and petrochemical production sites for enhanced carbon conversion capabilities:
- Dioxide Materials Inc. from Boca Raton, Florida intends to advance its technology aimed at producing low-greenhouse gas ethanol as well as mevalonic acid via an innovative blend of electrolysis coupled with bioprocessing methods.
- Terraforma Carbon LLC, based in State College Pennsylvania, plans to analyze both technical viability and cost-effectiveness of converting captured CO2 into methanol through retrofitting Shell’s Norco refinery situated in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana using molten salt capture equipment.
- Thiozen Inc., located in Pasadena California aims to investigate hydrogen sulfide reforming technology’s potential for yielding economical yet environmentally friendly methanol.
- Twelve Benefit Corp., based out of Berkeley California seeks rapid advancements in low-carbon chemical production alongside syngas generation by accelerating research development initiatives focused on their novel CO2 electrolyzers.
The chosen projects will be overseen by DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which operates under FECM guidelines.A comprehensive list detailing these selected projects can be found here.
Aiming Towards a Sustainable Future
This funding aligns closely with the DOE’s ambitious Cleans Fuels & Products Energy Earthshot initiative, aiming toward fulfilling projected net-zero emissions targets by 2050—setting goals around 100% aviation fuel sustainability; achieving 50% usage benchmarks across maritime transportations along with railways/off-road vehicles; as well as ensuring that half of all chemical outputs derive from sustainable carbon resources alike conventionality sourced ingredients by mid-century