The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced on March 25 the “largest investment in industrial decarbonization in American history”: $6 billion to decarbonize the sector that is responsible for almost a third of America’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The initiative, part of US President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will fund 33 projects spanning more than 20 states. These projects aim to decarbonize energy-intensive industries, slash industrial greenhouse gas emissions, foster high-paying union jobs, rejuvenate industrial communities, and bolster the nation’s manufacturing competitiveness.
The funding will be sourced from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($489 million) and Inflation Reduction Act ($5.47 billion). The projects, as the Energy Department writes, “will create and maintain tens of thousands of high-quality jobs and help accelerate the commercial-scale demonstration of emerging industrial decarbonization technologies crucial to meeting the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate and domestic manufacturing goals.”
The selected projects target the highest-emitting industries “where decarbonization technologies will have the greatest impact.” This includes:
- seven chemicals and refining projects; these aim to upcycle captured carbon into value-added products and develop high-quality fuels and materials from recycled products
- six cement and concrete projects that aim to eliminate all CO2 emissions and explore pathways for net-negative emissions;
- six iron and steel projects aiming to demonstrate clean hydrogen-fueled processes to significantly reduce emissions;
- five aluminum and metals projects with the aim of decarbonizing primary aluminum production and enhancing recycling approaches
- three food and beverage projects focusing on energy efficiency and electrification solutions;
- three glass projects; these will validate low-emission production methods;
- two process heat-focused projects that will explore electric alternatives; and
- one pulp and paper project aiming to aims to improve energy efficiency using innovative membrane technology.
The US DOE expects these 33 projects to reduce over 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to the annual emissions of 3 million gasoline-powered cars. Many of these initiatives will deploy pioneering emissions-reducing technologies, according to the DOE.
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Each project is expected to develop and implement a comprehensive Community Benefits Plan, ensuring meaningful community and labor engagement. Nearly 80% of the projects will take place in disadvantaged communities.
US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm emphasized the significance of the Biden administration’s move:
“Spurring on the next generation of decarbonization technologies in key industries like steel, paper, concrete, and glass will keep America the most competitive nation on Earth. Thanks to President Biden’s industrial strategy, DOE is making the largest investment in industrial decarbonization in the history of the United States. These investments will slash emissions from these difficult-to-decarbonize sectors and ensure American businesses and American workers remain at the forefront of the global economy.”
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: Mladen Borisov.
