The U.S. Department of Energy announced about USD 43.2M for 21 projects focused on developing technologies deemed essential for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions across industrial subsectors.
Out of this funding, DOE allocated USD 38M for 16 projects targeting cross-sector technologies, while an additional USD 5.2M would support five projects chosen in partnership with the Electrified Processes for Industry without Carbon Institute. The 16 selected projects focus on three topic areas: electrification of industrial heat, efficient energy use in industrial systems and decarbonisation of organic wastewater and wet waste treatment.
These projects are expected to have implications for operators of commercial and industrial buildings.
Energy efficiency projects include advanced membrane solutions for high-temperature heat exchangers. These innovations can replace “energy-intensive thermal separation processes like distillation and heat exchangers for high-temperature and corrosive environments”.
Decarbonizing organic wastewater and wet waste treatment projects include a disinfectant technology aimed at removing nitrous oxide from wastewater and an energy-efficient aeration technology for water resource recovery facilities.