U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Advanced Manufacturing Office

Chemical Industry Projects Selected

December 17, 1999

Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson today announced the selection of eight new energy efficiency research and development projects for funding under the Department of Energy's (DOE) Chemical Industry of the Future partnership. The new projects, jointly supported by DOE and several chemical industry firms, will pool nearly $25 million of federal and private sector funding to support cost-shared partnerships over a three-year period.

The new public-private partnerships are intended to help boost the chemical industry's energy efficiency, enhance its productivity and competitiveness, and protect and improve the environment. The Energy Department's share of the total funding will be $10.17 million over a three-year period. Seven chemical industry firms and organizations will contribute $14.81 million over the same three-year period. A list of the selected projects is attached.

"With its more than one million employees, the chemical industry plays a big part in the U.S. economy, representing 10 percent of all U.S. manufacturing," said Secretary Richardson. "These joint projects help energy-intensive industries become more energy-efficient."

The Industries of the Future program works to create partnerships between industry, government, and supporting laboratories and institutions to accelerate technology research, development and deployment. The strategy is being implemented in nine energy- and waste-intensive industries: agriculture, aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, metal casting, mining, petroleum and steel to reduce their energy use and help maintain a cleaner environment.

The U.S. chemical industry is the world's largest producer of chemicals, with annual industry shipments of more than $350 billion—and the largest trade surplus of any non-defense-related sector of the U.S. economy. The funding announced today will be used to support four areas identified by the industry as high-priority research and development areas, including: materials of construction, separations, catalysis and computational chemistry.

For example, one of the eight projects will support the development of a new material—>iron aluminide—which will eliminate soot and carbon formation from ethylene furnace tubes. This clogging of the furnace tubes is a major cause of process plant shutdowns.

For more information about the grants announced today, visit the Office of Industrial Technologies web site at www.oit.doe.gov.

The Department of Energy researches, develops and deploys clean, efficient and renewable energy technologies to help meet America's energy needs while protecting the environment and strengthening the economy. Energy technologies supported and promoted by the department will play a key role in providing Clean Energy for the 21st Century.