Tuesday 14 June 2022

US awards $39m to turn buildings into carbon storage structures

Funding totalling $39 million (£32m) has been announced for research and development projects to turn buildings into net carbon storage structures in the US.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting 18 projects under the Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere (HESTIA) programme, which will prioritise overcoming barriers associated with carbon-storing buildings, including scarce, expensive and geographically limited building materials.

The projects aim to increase the total amount of carbon stored in buildings to create carbon sinks, which absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than released during the construction process.

They will develop and demonstrate building materials and net carbon-negative whole-building designs.

Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said: “There’s huge, untapped potential in reimagining building materials and construction techniques as carbon sinks that support a cleaner atmosphere and advance President Biden’s national climate goals.

“This is a unique opportunity for researchers to advance clean energy materials to tackle one of the hardest to decarbonise sectors that is responsible for roughly 10% of total annual emissions in the United States.”