The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $33 million investment in nine projects across seven states to advance concentrating solar-thermal (CST) systems for solar fuel production and long-duration energy storage. CST technologies use mirrors to focus sunlight onto a receiver, generating carbon-free clean fuels, heat, and storage solutions for various applications.
The development of solar fuels and clean hydrogen is expected to reduce reliance on fossil fuels for producing feedstocks, chemicals, and other petroleum-based materials. The announced projects will also advance efforts to establish a robust domestic clean hydrogen industry by lowering hydrogen production costs.
Among the projects, three will use solar heat to produce renewable fuels more cost-effectively than with electricity and without the emissions associated with burning natural gas. These projects include Exergy Labs (Dover, DE), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Golden, CO), and West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV).
Additionally, six projects will advance thermal energy storage technologies that provide continuous or on-demand heat. These technologies can be integrated with turbines for electricity generation or used in industrial processes. Low-temperature CST heat can aid in decarbonizing the food and beverage industry, while high-temperature heat is valuable for chemical production. Selected projects in this category are Brayton Energy (Hampton, NH), Durion (White River Junction, VT), Firestone Walker Incorporated (Paso Robles, CA), Premier Resource Management (Bakersfield, CA), Southwest Research Institute (San Antonio, TX), and the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN).
DoE informed that the selection for award negotiations does not guarantee funding. The DOE and selected entities will undergo a negotiation process, and there are possibilities of cancellation of negotiations or rescinding selections at any time during this process.
Enhancing CST technologies aligns with President Biden’s comprehensive approach to reducing harmful carbon emissions and achieving the nation’s ambitious clean energy and climate objectives.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DOE continues to invest in the next-generation solar technologies we need to tackle the climate crisis and ensure American scientific innovation remains the envy of the world,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “With today’s announcement, DOE is supporting projects that will harness the sun’s energy to power NASA space missions, beer and wine production, and everything in between.”