The National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) Toolset has been selected as a finalist for a prestigious R&D 100 Award. NRAP is an NETL-led multi-lab partnership that also includes Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, and Pacific Northwest National Lab. The Toolset is a software package that includes 10 science-based computational tools that predict environmental risk performance of geologic carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage sites. These tools support industry and regulatory stakeholders as they design and implement safe and effective geologic carbon storage projects to sequester the large volumes of human-made CO₂.

These ten tools represent the most complete suite of models ever assembled to assess the geological integrity and environmental risk performance of CO₂ storage sites related to potential fluid leakage and ground motion. The Toolset provides users with credible science-based resources for evaluating, developing, and managing geologic storage of CO₂. For example, researchers at the University of Utah used NRAP tools to help evaluate the behavior of carbon storage pilot projects.

The Toolset also expedites selection and characterization of candidate storage sites, builds public and industry stakeholder confidence in predictive data about storage site performance, aids in the preparation and evaluation of permits, and helps decision-makers address large-scale implementation of geologic carbon storage projects.

Presented annually by R&D Magazine, the R&D 100 Awards recognize 100 of the brightest and boldest technologies and services of the year across nine categories. Since 1963, the R&D 100 Awards program has identified revolutionary technologies newly introduced to the market. Widely recognized as the “Oscars of Innovation,” the R&D 100 Awards identify and celebrate the top technology products of the year. Past winners have included sophisticated testing equipment, innovative new materials, chemistry breakthroughs, biomedical products, consumer items, and high-energy physics spanning industry, academia, and government-sponsored research. A full list of the 2017 finalists is available at the R&D 100 Conference website.

The Office of Fossil Energy funds research and development projects to reduce the risk and cost of advanced fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of the Nation’s fossil resources. visit the Office of Fossil Energy website or sign up for FE news announcements.