In the latest initiative to decarbonise the country, the US Government is funding $23.3m to advance carbon management technology.
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the funding will support 16 carbon management projects across 14 states hosted at universities and private companies.
The projects will help strengthen relationships between carbon management technology developers and local communities to accelerate the commercialisation of carbon capture, transport, and storage infrastructure.
Deploying carbon management technology at scale will help the US meet its ambitious climate goals, reducing carbon emissions in hard-to-abate sectors, such as industrial facilities and power plants.
The DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) will manage the projects.
With the latest announcement, the FECM has financed over $777m for more than 100 carbon management projects since 2011.
Speaking on the development, US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said: “There’s no denying that to reach our climate goals, technology will play a central role in the reduction of harmful carbon emissions that are exacerbating the impacts of climate change.
“Today’s investments will help regions across the nation develop locally-focused pathways that advance the deployment of carbon management technology while delivering more jobs and cleaner air.”
How will the funding advance carbon management?
The funding will allow companies with carbon management expertise to provide technical information and assistance to industry and business partners interested in commercial-scale carbon management.
The chosen projects will provide valuable resources, expert teams, and information to stakeholders to develop regional, large-scale carbon management hubs.
Each of these hubs could store hundreds of millions of metric tons of CO2 over their operational lifespan, at a rate of over five million metric tons per year.
The projects will also enable the DOE to collaborate with State Geologic Surveys and related organisations to plug data gaps and investigate the potential for these large-scale projects in their state’s geological basins.
Community engagement is at the forefront of the initiative
The projects will ensure that close engagement with local communities is fostered throughout. This is essential as these communities are the most affected by current and proposed carbon capture, transport, and storage infrastructure.
Improving relationships with local communities will help further public understanding of the technical aspects of the projects. During this process, the DOE aims to reduce project costs and risks, lower monitoring costs while boosting effectiveness, and develop new strategies to gain public acceptance. They will also provide data to support legislative and governmental decision-making across the US.
