DOE awards $72M for carbon capture technologies

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $72 million for the development and advancement of carbon capture technologies.

Approximately $51 million of that will go to nine new projects for coal and natural gas power and industrial sources. These efforts seek to design initial engineering studies to develop technologies to capture CO2 generated as a byproduct of manufacturing at industrial sites.

“The projects selected as a part of this research will help us develop the technological solutions needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said. “This is critical to balancing our Nation’s energy use while continuing to lead the world in emissions reductions.”

The other $21 million will go to 18 projects for technologies that remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This is a process known as “direct air capture.” These projects will focus on the development of new materials for use in direct air capture and will also do field testing.

“The primary mission of our office is to ensure that the United States can continue to rely on its fossil fuel resources for clean and secure energy. The advancement of carbon capture technologies, including direct air capture, contributes to that mission,” Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg said. “Our ultimate goal is to mature these technologies so that they can be commercialized and brought to market.”