Newswise — Argonne’s funding grows for geothermal power, advanced nuclear safety and used fuel recycling.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions has announced the selection of DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory for three new clean energy projects. The funding will allow Argonne to lead cutting-edge initiatives that tackle crucial challenges in the clean energy sector. Through strategic collaborations with industry partners, these projects will revolutionize geothermal power plant components, enhance safety analysis for advanced nuclear reactors and drive the commercialization of used nuclear fuel recycling in the United States.
The awards are part of a larger set of 30 clean energy projects aimed at advancing innovative technologies that received total funding of over $21 million as part of the DOE’s Technology Commercialization Fund Base Annual Appropriations Core Laboratory Infrastructure for Market Readiness award.
The funding awarded to Argonne underscores the laboratory’s pivotal role in driving the transition to a clean energy economy. These projects closely align with the nationwide goals of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and lowering energy costs.
“As America transitions to a clean energy economy, it is vital that we reduce the time from when a clean energy technology is invented to when it’s available to consumers,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE’s national laboratories are developing landmark clean energy technologies that will lower energy costs for Americans, strengthen our nation’s economic stability, and continue to advance the nation’s decarbonization goals.”
Argonne researchers whose projects received 2023 funding are:
Levent Eryilmaz and Oyelayo Ajayi: Ultra-Fast Thick Boriding Treatment to Enhance Reliability and Reduce Cost in Geothermal Power Plant Components (in partnership with Controlled Thermal Resources, Imperial Valley, California, and BlueWater Thermal Solutions, Greenville, South Carolina)
Rui Hu and Ling Zou: Advanced System Analysis Code Enhancement for Commercial Deployment of Molten Salt Cooled Reactors (in partnership with Kairos Power LLC, Alameda, California)
Peter Tkac and Candido Pereira: Towards Commercialization of Used Nuclear Fuel Recycling in the U.S. (in partnership with SHINE Technologies, Janesville, Wisconsin, and Orano Federal Services, Charlotte, North Carolina)
These awards serve as a catalyst for advancing promising energy technologies, streamlining commercialization processes and accelerating the development of clean energy solutions.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.
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