CRITERION ENERGY PARTNERS, INC. — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: C54-07e

Description

This proposal requests funding to accelerate a small business technology that addresses needs of a community that is systematically overlooked for economic development opportunities due to the region’s “dirty” reputation and heritage as an industrial/petrochemical hub. The region represents a significant concentration of communities with a high index for cancer risk, particulate matter, and other important environmental justice considerations, and have limited access to healthcare. As a result of these systemic barriers, city and economic development managers are hindered from advancing job growth and find it difficult to establish equality of wealth distribution across the region. Co-production of knowledge is imperative to addressing the issue at the root. This proposed plan will involve chemical facilities, the city manager and economic development manager of a specific impacted city, and the local education system to accelerate decarbonization efforts of chemical plants in the region. Each stakeholder will collaborate with the small business to establish a blueprint for applying its proprietary technology to integrate a parallel renewable direct heat and power source into the chemical plant. Once applied, the chemical plant managers will understand its carbon footprint, the impact of the new technology in carbon reduction, and its gaps toward achieving a net zero target. Phase I will begin with a benchmark analysis of the current state environmental impact of all petrochemical facilities in the city followed by an impact assessment of replacing fossil fuels with renewable direct heat of the boiler system. The technical feasibility and integration design of a dual direct heat and power system will be performed, and associated patents filed. Outputs of the benchmark analysis, impact report, and technical feasibility will inform the economic development strategy for the city and its associated execution plan, including opportunities to source component manufacturing from local businesses, new business creation opportunities, marketing and communication of the program, associated job awareness, and school presentations at the primary, secondary and college levels. Once developed and proven, the direct heating application will become a key differentiator in renewable co-generation for overall reduction of emissions of chemical manufacturing facilities. This solution will be marketed to chemical plants as a replacement for fossil fuels at the boiler and sold in conjunction with geothermal co-generation. The solution will be co-located with the chemical plant, and revenue generated through a power purchase agreement. The total solution has the potential to offset more than 61 million metric tons of carbon emissions per year along the region with its initial 40 target customers and then replicated to other industries, making this technical solution a key requirement for replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy while preserving and creating new energy jobs.