The funding opportunity announcement aims to increase the commercial adoption of marine energy technologies
The funding also seeks to expand testing capacity to advance the marine energy industry. (Credit: Tapani Hellman from Pixabay)
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) has announced a $22m funding for marine energy foundational research and development (R&D) and to expand testing capacity to advance the marine energy industry.
The funding will help non-federal research institutions in the US in leveraging their expertise for the development of the marine energy industry and address the complex scientific and technical problems.
The funding opportunity announcement (FOA), which is entitled “Marine Energy Foundational Research and Testing Infrastructure”, aims to increase the commercial adoption of marine energy technologies.
US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy assistant secretary Daniel Simmons said: “Fostering collaboration between non-federal research institutions and industry is a great way to ensure that we’re tapping into the strongest minds and resources for marine energy.
“It sets the stage for the future workforce. This opportunity offers more real world experiences to students and researchers at universities and non-federal research institutions providing more expansive research and testing resources.
“Offering students and other researchers the opportunity to participate in industry-level problem solving prepares them for the next level of career development.”
FOA covers four main topic areas
The four main topic areas covered under the FOA include foundational R&D to focus on foundational research with broad relevance across the marine energy industry; and Atlantic Marine Energy Center to support the creation of a new National Marine Renewable Energy Center in the Atlantic region.
Other topics include foundational research network facilitator to help maximise the impact of non-federal research institutions’ research; and current energy technology testing infrastructure to address a marine testing capability gap.
Last year, the US DOE has selected 13 projects to grant a total of $28m in funding to advance wind energy in the country.