The US Department of Energy has announced US$118m (£95.3m) in funding for 17 projects across America to support the development of sustainable biofuels.
The funding announcement aligns with wider national ambitions to improve the country’s domestic carbon footprint.
Universities and private firms will lead the projects as part of efforts to drive the US’ domestic production of biofuels and bioproducts by advancing biorefinery development.
The investment will support production, from pre-pilot to demonstration, to increase domestic supplies of sustainable fuels and support the move away from fossil fuels.
Each project has received an amount ranging from US$500,000 (£404,000) to US$80m (£64.6m), with the US Department of Energy claiming that the majority of schemes received sums around the US$2m (£1.6m) mark.
Jennifer Granholm, US secretary of energy, said: “Biofuels are a versatile tool because they have the immediate potential to power our ships, trains, airlines, and heavy-duty vehicles – a huge contributor to total carbon emissions – with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.”
The UK government has also been incentivising innovation in the production of clean fuels and energy sources. In August 2022, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy announced £37m in funding for projects to produce sustainable biomass, which can be used as a renewable energy source.
In 2020, the transport industry was responsible for 24% of the UK’s domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, with HGVs comprising 19% of domestic transport emissions, according to figures from the Department for Transport.
