The funding is provided through the Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy, under its MOVE initiative that stands for Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy.
Commenting on the funding, the US Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman said that the initiative has the potential to transform the country’s energy infrastructure besides reducing its dependency on imported oil.
Research carried as part of the funding will include $3m for the development of an internal foam core for natural gas tanks. This allows gas tanks to be formed in any shape enabling higher storage capacity.
The University of Texas at Austin will receive $4m, as part of the funding, to develop gas compressors that enable consumers to re-fuel at home.
