The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has announced additional funding. The $54.4 million will support CO2 capture, storage, and conversion technologies. These technologies capture CO2 from industrial and power generation sources or directly from the atmosphere. Subsequently, the captured CO2 is either permanently stored or converted into valuable products like fuels and chemicals.
Focus Areas for the Carbon Management Funding Opportunity
FECM’s Carbon Management funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will support several key areas of interest in its sixth opening:
- Reactive Carbon Capture: First, this area focuses on conceptual design studies and laboratory validation of reactive CO2 capture approaches. The approaches capture CO2 from exhaust flue gas streams at electric generation and industrial facilities or from the atmosphere. Then, the approaches convert the captured CO2 into environmentally responsible and economically valuable products.
- Engineering-Scale Testing for NGCC Power Plants: The funding will support testing of transformational carbon capture technologies for natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants. The testing will be conducted under real flue gas conditions. The aim is to achieve 95% or greater carbon capture efficiency and CO2 purity while reducing capture costs by 30%.
- Portable Carbon Capture Systems for Industrial Plants: The development and testing of portable systems for transformational carbon capture technologies will be conducted. The testing will take place at various industrial sites, including oil refineries, petrochemical plants, cement and lime facilities, pulp mills, steel and iron plants, and glass manufacturing plants.
- Pre-FEED Studies for Carbon Capture at Hydrogen Production Facilities: Additionally, the funding will support studies to advance commercial-scale carbon capture systems. These systems separate CO2 with at least 95% capture efficiency at new or existing hydrogen production facilities. The facilities use coal, mixed coal/biomass/municipal solid waste/unrecyclable plastics, or natural gas feedstocks.
- Pre-FEED Studies for Carbon Capture at Hydrogen Production Facilities: Additionally, the funding will support studies to advance commercial-scale carbon capture systems. These systems separate CO2 with at least 95% capture efficiency at new or existing hydrogen production facilities. The facilities use coal, mixed coal/biomass/municipal solid waste/unrecyclable plastics, or natural gas feedstocks.
- Enhancing CO2 Transport Infrastructure: Lastly, the funding will support Pre-FEED studies for multimodal CO2 transfer facilities. The studies support the development of viable and strategically adaptable multimodal transportation infrastructure. This infrastructure will transfer CO2 across regional and national CO2 transportation networks.
Supporting the Transition to Clean Energy
The DOE ‘s significant investment in CO2 capture, storage, and conversion technologies demonstrates the agency’s commitment to advancing clean energy solutions. The funding also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By supporting the development and deployment of these technologies across various sectors, the DOE is taking a comprehensive approach. This approach addresses the challenges of climate change and fosters a sustainable energy future.
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