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DOE Offers $100M For Pilot-Scale Carbon Conversion

Jan. 15, 2025

Funding will help develop sustainable carbon-derived products like fuels, chemicals, building materials, and bioproducts, contributing to reduced carbon emissions and enhanced environmental and economic benefits.

Source DOE

Amanda Joshi

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has announced up to $100 million in federal funding is available for large-scale conversion of carbon emissions captured from industrial operations and power plants into environmentally responsible and economically valuable products.

Provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the funding will advance the pilot scale testing of carbon conversion technologies with high technology readiness levels (TRLs) capable of achieving significant carbon mitigation via biological, catalytic or mineralization pathways, said the DOE.

The funding opportunity also supports testing of carbon conversion product performance and characterization needed for market or consumer adoption. This may include life cycle analysis (LCA) development for novel carbon conversion technologies and LCA development for pilot facilities using these technologies.

Selected projects will perform research in the following four topic areas:

Pilot-Scale Biological Conversion. Research focused on technologies at TRL 5 that seek pilot-scale conversion of carbon dioxide, either through photosynthetic or non-photosynthetic routes. Research and development (R&D) will support algae biomass production, separation, and conversion, as well as autotrophic CO₂ fermentation to fuels and products.

Pilot-Scale Catalytic Conversion. Research focused on technologies at TRL 5 that seek pilot-scale thermochemical and electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide. R&D will support reactor and catalyst performance improvements, long-term stability, and electrolyzer stack durability and design.

Pilot-Scale Mineralization. Research focused on technologies at TRL 5 that seek pilot-scale mineralization of carbon dioxide to produce synthetic aggregates, alternative binders, or injection, curing, and carbonation processes. R&D will support pilot-scale operations at a scale of 10 tonnes/day.

Other Testing and LCA Development Required for Commercialization. R&D will support performance testing in specific environments, production of the amount of material needed for testing, performance validation support, and specific tests required as a prerequisite for participation in competitive purchasing and procurement processes.

The DOE’s Carbon Conversion Program works to develop and advance technologies that feasibly convert captured carbon emissions into more sustainable carbon-derived products, including chemicals, fuels, building materials, plastics and bioproducts, with the potential for lower costs and improved performance over time.

The application deadline is April 11, 2025.

About the Author

Amanda Joshi | Managing Editor

Amanda Joshi has more than 18 years of experience in business-to-business publishing for both print and digital content. Before joining Chemical Processing, she worked with Manufacturing.net and Electrical Contracting Products. She’s a versatile, award-winning editor with experience in writing and editing technical content, executing marketing strategy, developing new products, attending industry events and developing customer relationships.

Amanda graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2001 with a B.A. in English and has been an English teacher. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and daughter, and their mini Aussiedoodle, Riley. In her rare spare time, she enjoys reading, tackling DIY projects, and horseback riding.