WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced almost $4.7 million in funding for six projects to advance the development of ceramic-based materials to improve the efficiency of hydrogen-fueled turbines that may one day be used in clean power plants. Electricity made from clean hydrogen—whether produced from renewable resources or from fossil fuels or carbon-based waste resources, coupled with pre-combustion carbon capture and storage—will help in achieving the Biden-Harris Administration's goal of a zero-carbon U.S. power sector by 2035.

“Investing in research and development to increase hydrogen turbine efficiency will not only help bring down electricity costs, but it can ultimately help to ramp up the use of hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel for power production, providing cleaner energy for all Americans,” said Brad Crabtree, Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.

Projects selected under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will focus on the research and development (R&D) of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components, which allow hydrogen turbines to operate at higher working temperatures, ultimately improving cycle efficiency. Specifically, this R&D will enable operation at 150 degrees Celsius higher than current CMC technology and 450 degrees Celsius higher than existing nickel-based materials allow, while reducing the amount of cooling air required. These improvements will lead to increased turbine efficiency, ultimately resulting in reduced electricity costs, as well as lower greenhouse gas emissions as clean hydrogen displaces natural gas as the turbine fuel. 

DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the selected projects. A detailed list of the selected projects can be found here.

FECM funds research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects to decarbonize power generation and industrial production, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil fuel production and use. Priority areas of technology work include carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements, and visit the NETL website.