AdvR is developing a technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuel power plants through carbon sequestration. To ensure CO2 sequestration, the ability to monitor leakage from underground geologic storage sites and pipelines delivering CO2 to those sites is paramount.
The goal of this grant is to accelerate the development of a low-cost, fiber-based sensor system for the detection of low levels of CO2 in the subsurface.
The objective of IntelliMet’s project is to develop an absorption technology that enables CO2 capture for less than $20 per ton of CO2. The potential commercial application will be to create carbon capture units that enable the economically feasible reduction of CO2.
The grant is part of $2.38m that will be awarded to 34 small businesses across the nation to develop technologies to help improve air quality, protect water, work to decrease the effects of climate change, and support green jobs.
These awards to businesses focus on ten key environmental research areas: increasing the efficiency of green building materials and systems; manufacturing advancements; prevention, monitoring, and control using nanotechnology; reducing greenhouse gases; new treatment technologies for drinking water; and improving water infrastructure.
It also focuses on reducing emissions from small air pollution sources and vehicles and biofuels production facilities; new approaches for cleaning up and monitoring hazardous waste sites; and new tools for homeland security systems.
EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established to ensure that new technologies are developed to solve priority environmental problems.
Paul Anastas, assistant administrator of research and development at EPA, said: ”Innovation is the lifeline of progress — and scientific and technological innovation are essential to the progress we seek to make in protecting people and the planet. These small businesses are key to helping us reach that goal.”
