NETL researchers will discuss transformational technologies to produce value-added products from fossil energy resources at Focus Forward 2022: West Virginia’s New Narrative, an event set for Wednesday, April 27, to ensure the Mountain State remains competitive, relevant and resilient in an evolving global economy.

The Lab’s expertise will be showcased in the panel discussion “Leveraging West Virginia’s Energy Assets of the Past to Generate Products of the Future,” which will begin at 10 a.m. at the Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place in Morgantown, West Virginia. This panel discussion and other Focus Forward 2022 presentations are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Click here to review the day’s complete agenda and to register.

Bryan Morreale, associate laboratory director for NETL’s Research & Innovation Center, will moderate the panel discussion. He will be joined by NETL’s Joseph Stoffa, technology manager, whose focus areas include carbon ore processing and carbon use and reuse; Nathan Weiland, senior fellow, Energy Conversion Engineering; and Ruishu Wright, research physical scientist, Functional Materials Team.

These NETL researchers lead a broad portfolio of projects focused on developing innovative, environmentally friendly technologies that will create good-paying jobs and revitalize communities using energy resources found in abundance in West Virginia. They will cover topics such as carbon ore processing, hydrogen and natural gas infrastructure as areas positioned to potentially play a growing role in the energy economy of West Virginia.

Projects within NETL’s Carbon Ore Processing program are advancing novel technologies to use coal and coal waste for applications outside of traditional thermal and metallurgical markets.

Working with forward-thinking partners in industry and the nation’s top research universities, NETL is leading efforts to transform carbon ore into value-added products to develop lightweight, fire-resistant building materials, cement additives for stronger buildings, road and bridges, battery anodes, carbon fiber, graphite and nanomaterials, including graphene quantum dots that can be used in composite plastics, batteries, water filtration systems and 3D printing materials.

NETL and its partners are also focused on using methane from natural gas to produce clean hydrogen, which will be instrumental in helping the nation achieve its goals calling for net-zero carbon emissions in the power sector by 2035 and the broader economy by 2050.

Hydrogen production using steam methane reforming is energy intensive and releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the atmosphere. To address this challenge, NETL is working to develop hydrogen production methods in combination with carbon capture and storage to produce clean hydrogen with little to no CO₂ emissions. 

NETL’s intramural research and technologies developed with NETL oversight have the potential to remediate legacy environmental burdens and create jobs within communities that have been economically distressed.

Hosted by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Focus Forward 2022 brings together business, government and education leaders to explore innovative ideas and how they can be adapted in West Virginia to help strengthen its workforce and economy.

This year’s fourth Focus Forward will spotlight stories of innovation in government and industry, resiliency in education and leadership in the changing culture of work. Attendees will explore how these stories may serve as catalysts to mobilize public-private partnerships, spur investment, innovate changing industries and look ahead to determine how to write West Virginia’s next chapter.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.

Above: NETL’s Bryan Morreale, Joseph Stoffa, Nathan Weiland and Ruishu Wright will discuss “Leveraging West Virginia’s Energy Assets of the Past to Generate Products of the Future” at Focus Forward 2022: West Virginia’s New Narrative.