Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to Senate appropriators calling for $25 million in FY2023 funding for the Carbon Materials Science Initiative at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The initiative was enacted to research converting coal and coal waste into raw materials necessary for advanced technologies and industrial applications. The initiative would also establish carbon materials research centers in coal-producing regions of the United States.
“With support from DOE, researchers have demonstrated that coal and coal waste can be used to produce graphite for batteries, metal composites and alloys, building materials and piping, rare earth elements, and other essential products necessary for advanced technologies and industrial applications. This research has highlighted opportunities to manufacture carbon-based products from coal with lower environmental impacts, including reduced CO2 emissions, and lower consumer costs than other methods of production,” wrote the senators.
“We are excited that the private sector is leveraging this coal-to-products and carbon ore processing research to commercialize several products. Further appropriations are needed to assist with the high-risk, early-stage research and development that will yield additional carbon materials opportunities. Funding this research will bolster our economic and national security by creating new, sustainable sources for materials needed by our construction, aerospace, defense, transportation, and energy storage industries,” concluded the senators.
Click here to read the letter.