The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made available $15 million in grant funding for projects that tackle the climate crisis by reclaiming and destroying hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
EPA anticipates making four to nine awards to eligible applicants for projects that would reduce HFC emissions and increase reclaimed HFCs through new and improved technologies and strategies.
“These grants under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will spur far-reaching innovation that aims to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and expand the use of new and existing HFC reclamation and destruction technologies,” according to Joseph Goffman, principal deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation.
“Destroying unwanted HFCs helps prevent climate-damaging emissions, and reclaiming HFCs helps reduce the need for new production. That helps us fight climate change and meet our targets under the HFC phasedown program.”
The application’s program areas include:
- Pilot projects for new or better technologies to increase reclamation of otherwise useable HFCs;
- Programs or pilot projects for innovative strategies that lower barriers to increasing reclamation; and
- Pilot projects for innovative technologies to destroy unusable and/or unwanted HFCs.
A global HFC phasedown is expected to prevent up to 0.5 °C in global warming by 2100. Under the AIM Act, the Biden-Harris Administration is phasing down HFC production and consumption to reduce emissions by 40 per cent below historic levels starting in 2024, as well as an 85 per cent reduction by 2036.
The grant funding opportunity is open until 16 February, 2024.
Just last week the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $169 million for nine projects to accelerate electric heat pump manufacturing at 15 sites across the country.
Grants were allocated to Honeywell, Mitsubishi Electric and Gradient, just to name a few.