The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing $40 million in new funds aimed squarely at supporting research and development (R&D) into alternative fuels and advanced transportation technologies.
The first new program, which is in line to receive $20 million, will identify biotech solutions for converting natural gas into liquid fuels for transportation. Dubbed the Reducing Emissions Using Methanotrophic Organisms for Transportation Energy (REMOTE) program, the initiative will put scientists to work on developing new catalysts and lab-scale reactors that are cheaper and less complicated than today's gas-to-liquids technologies.
More specifically, the program will seek to support three different approaches: high-efficiency biological methane activation, high-efficiency biological synthesis of liquid fuels, and process-intensification approaches for biological methane conversion.
Also receiving $20 million in funding is the Modern Electro/Thermochemical Advancements for Light-metal Systems (METALS) program, which will develop technologies for the cost-effective processing and recycling of aluminum, magnesium and titanium. The goal is to use these metals to create lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
The DOE, through its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy program, is looking for applicants to submit potential projects. More information is available HERE.
