Firstly, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) revealed a $156 million investment. It aims to support high-impact applied research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects. The objective is to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the American industrial sector. Secondly, spearheaded by the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) within EERE, this funding will spur innovation in next-generation technologies. At the same time, it will foster industrial decarbonization, revitalization of domestic manufacturing, job creation, and enhanced community health.
Attaining the nation’s climate objectives necessitates the decarbonization of the industrial sector. In 2020, this sector represented 33% of the country’s primary energy consumption and 30% of energy-related CO2 emissions. Above all, the industrial sector’s complexity, resulting from a broad array of energy inputs, processes, and operations, calls for a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy. This action must eliminate industrial emissions to achieve a net-zero economy by 2050.
Link of interest: Energy Transitions Initiative: Third round for applications
Therefore, the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encompasses the following subtopic. It is financed by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO):
Topic 3: Pioneering Cross-Sector R&D – This topic encompasses nascent R&D fields for technologies and materials that facilitate industrial decarbonization.
Subtopic 3b: Advanced Thermal Conductivity Materials. This subtopic will emphasize advanced thermal conductivity materials to augment the performance and efficiency of electrified thermal processing equipment. The subtopic aims to expand on AMMTO’s efforts through DOE’s existing Conductivity-enhanced materials for the Affordable, Breakthrough Leapfrog Electric and thermal applications (CABLE) initiative. Furthermore, the CABLE initiative seeks to boost the U.S. electricity and manufacturing industries by enabling domestic manufacturers to outpace the global competition by enhancing essential materials and applications that underpin grid reliability and other electric and thermal energy systems. In conclusion, this ongoing initiative consists of three rounds of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, a multi-stage CABLE manufacturing prize, a previously announced R&D funding opportunity, and the current funding announcement.
Link of interest: Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office
