DOE Awards $75 M in ...Grants in Support of Bush Hydrogen Fuel Initiative

[Khephra]

(Press Release)

To: National Desk, Energy Reporter

Contact: Tom Welch of the Department of Energy, 202-586-5806

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham today announced that the department has selected over $75 million in research projects to support the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative.

In last year's State of the Union address, President Bush communicated his vision that, "the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free." The research projects announced today address major technical and economic hurdles in renewable and distributed hydrogen production technologies that must be overcome to make the President's vision a reality.

"Hydrogen from diverse domestic resources has the long-term potential to deliver greater energy independence by reducing America's reliance on foreign sources of energy," Secretary Abraham said. "The projects we are announcing today highlight the emphasis that the department has placed on renewable and distributed production of hydrogen. They will move the nation toward advanced technologies to make and deliver safe, affordable hydrogen for fuel cell powered vehicles."

The proposals selected are a key factor in moving forward and also address major recommendations from the recent National Research Council (NRC) Report "The Hydrogen Economy: Opportunities, Costs, Barriers and R&D Needs," including the NRC's call for shifting more hydrogen production work towards more exploratory research on long-term sustainable, carbon-free pathways. Projects announced today include several renewable hydrogen production technologies powered by sun.

The projects selected also establish more robust programs in near-term distributed hydrogen generation appliances such as small-scale natural gas reformers and electrolyzers that can be sited at existing gasoline stations. This addresses another NRC recommendation to use already existing natural gas pipelines and electricity transmission and distribution systems which already exist. These small-scale technologies can also make use of renewable resources to produce hydrogen such as bio-derived liquids and wind-based electricity.

Work resulting from the awards is expected to increase the United States' leadership in hydrogen technology. When private cost share is included, these projects come to a nearly $100 million investment in this second round of major hydrogen research funding. The projects involve 36 lead organizations and include over 80 teaming organizations. Selected organizations include academia, industry, and support by DOE national laboratories. Projects were chosen through a merit-review, competitive solicitation process.

Team Lead; Additional Team Members; Total DOE Amount (see note below)

-- Solar Electrochemical Water Splitting (Photoelectrochemical):

GE Global Research (Niskayuna, N.Y.); Caltech; $3,000,042

University of California-Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, Calif.); National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), GE Global Research; $894,000

MVSystems Inc. (Golden, Colo.); University of Hawaii, Intematix Corporation, Southwest Research Institute, Duquesne University, NREL, University of California- Santa Barbara; $3,271,630

Midwest Optoelectronics (Toledo, Ohio); University of Toledo, NREL, United Solar Ovonic Corporation; $2,921,501

-- Solar Thermochemical Water Splitting:

University of Colorado (Boulder, Colo.); ETH-Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; $1,200,000

Stirling Energy Systems, Inc. (Phoenix, Ariz.); University of Alabama in Huntsville, Weizmann Institute of Technology, Concentrating Technologies, LLC, University of Massachusetts- Boston; $803,438

Science Applications International Corporation (San Diego, Calif); Florida Solar Energy Center, Universidad del Turabo, University of Central Florida; $3,999,805

-- Solar Biological (Microorganisms):

University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, Calif.); None; $1,200,000

Advanced BioNutrition Corporation (Columbia, Md.); Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Clemson University, Savannah River Technology Center, SeaAg, Inc., University of Hawaii; $4,278,198

Montana State University (Bozeman, Mont.); Pleotint, LLC; $1,193,003

Institute Biological Energy Alternatives (Rockville, Md.); NREL; $2,880,000

-- Small Scale Natural Gas/Bio-derived Liquid Reformers:

GE Global Research (Niskayuna, N.Y. and Irvine, Calif.); University of Minnesota, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); $2,225,079

H2Gen Innovations, Inc. (Alexandria, Va.); Sud-Chemie, Inc., Naval Research Lab, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL); $3,502,965

Ohio State University Research Foundation (Columbus, Ohio); None; $1,145,624

The BOC Group, Inc. (Murray Hill, N.J.); Membrane Reactor Technologies Ltd., HERA USA Inc.; $2,476,801

-- Electrolyzers:

SRI International (Menlo Park, Calif.); Institute of High- Temperature Electrochemistry, SRI Consulting Business Intelligence; $1,827,984

GE Global Research (Niskayuna, N.Y.); Northwestern University, Functional Coating Technology, LLC.; $2,853,285

Ceramatec, Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah); Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Hoeganaes Corporation, University of Washington; $1,915,535

Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.); None; $1,200,000

Teledyne Energy Systems (Hunt Valley, Md.); Sandia National Laboratory; $1,486,747

-- Biomass and Hydrocarbon Gas Separation Technologies:

Gas Technology Institute (Des Plaines, Ill.); NETL, University of Cincinnati, Wah Chang, Schott North America; $2,690,474

Virent Energy Systems, LLC (Madison, Wisc.); University of Wisconsin-Madison, Archer Daniels Midland Company, UOP LLC; $1,942,739

University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio); The Ohio State University, New Mexico Institute of Technology; $1,999,727

United Technologies Research Center (East Hartford, Conn.); University of North Dakota; $1,046,690

Media & Process Technology, Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.); Johnson Matthey Catalyst, ChevronTexaco, University of Southern California; $2,592,349

REB Research & Consulting (Ferndale, Mich.); Los Alamos National Laboratory, Iowa State University, NETL, Johnson Matthey, Inc. (Westchester, Pa.); $2,360,531

Pall Corporation (East Hills, N.Y. and Cortland, N.Y.); ChevronTexaco, Colorado School of Mines, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); $2,385,400

-- Delivery Technologies:

University of Illinois (Urbana, Ill.); ORNL, University of Missouri-Rolla, Sandia National Laboratory; $300,000

Air Product & Chemicals, Inc. (Allentown, Pa.); United Technologies Research, Pennsylvania State University; $4,661,968

Nexant, Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.); Air Liquide, ChevronTexaco, NREL, Gas Technology Institute, Pinnacle West, TIAX LLC; $1,500,239

Secat, Inc. (Lexington, Ky.); ORNL, American Society of Mechanical Engineers International, University of Illinois, Applied Thin Films, Inc, Columbia Gas, Chemical Composite Coatings International, LLC, Advanced Technology Corporation, Oregon Steel Mills/Napa Pipe Company, Schott North America - Regional R&D; $1,650,000

New Concepts Research Corporation (Dallas, Texas); Prometheus Energy Inc., H2 Storage Solutions, Inc., CCC Group Inc., Chemithon Constructors LLC, University of Victoria, Department of Mechanical Engineering; $2,300,000

Gas Equipment Engineering Corporation (Milford, Conn.); R&D Dynamics Corporation; $2,000,000

-- Analysis:

RCF Economic and Financial Consulting (Chicago, Ill.); ANL, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., Beyond Petroleum, World Resources Institute, University of Michigan, Ford Motor Company; $3,616,634

Energy & Environmental Analysis, Inc. (Arlington, Va.); Brookhaven National Laboratory, Power and Energy Analytic Resources, Inc.; $1,300,479

Directed Technologies, Inc. (Arlington, Va.); Sentech, Inc., H2Gen Innovations, ChevronTexaco, Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., University of Virginia; $750,000

Note: Final amount subject to negotiation.

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http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=38405

[aquart]

1. Doesn't that stuff explode?

[mark11727]

2. Nah.

[Chico Man]

3. And just think, they could have invested 200 billion dollars

But we sure do have better uses for the money.

[tom_paine]

4. Can you say Tranparently Politically Timed?

I know I can.

[jdj]

5. what does this have to do with nuclear power?

It has something to do with it, but I can't remember what.

[progressivebydesign]

6. Watched an in depth documentary on hydrogen.. it won't work. n/t

[progressivebydesign]

7. Oh.. and YAWN.. another donor giveaway!

I'm sure if we checked the companies receiving the money, they are all republican/bush connected. I see Archer Daniels Midland, Chevron, etc.. it's another fucking giveaway! Could we SOMEHOW USE THAT 75 MILLION toward FLU SHOTS?????????????????