12 Projects Across 11 States Will Work on Technologies to Advance Emission-Free, High-Energy Electrochemical Systems in Support of President Biden’s Push to Electrify Transportation Sectors
WASHINGTON, D.C.– The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $15 million for 12 projects across 11 states to advance next-generation, high-energy storage solutions to help accelerate the electrification of the aviation, railroad, and maritime transportation sectors. Funded through the Pioneering Railroad, Oceanic and Plane ELectrification with 1K energy storage systems (PROPEL-1K) program, projects will develop energy storage systems with “1K” technologies capable of achieving or exceeding 1000 Watt-hour per kilogram (Wh/kg) and 1000 Watt-hour per liter (Wh/L), which is a greater than four times energy density improvement compared to current technologies. This effort supports President Biden’s 2050 net-zero climate goals.
“Reducing emissions in the transportation sector—which is the largest contributor to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions—is critical to achieving President Biden’s clean energy and climate goals,” said ARPA-E Director Evelyn N. Wang. “ARPA-E is pleased to announce the dozen teams that will pursue exciting new solutions for powering and electrifying heavy-duty transportation.”
Managed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), these projects aim at developing energy storage systems capable of significant energy density improvements. This funding underscores the commitment to transforming heavy-duty transportation with emission-free, electrochemical systems.
Here’s a table highlighting the companies and their hydrogen-focused projects receiving funding:
| Company | Location | Project Description | Award Amount |
| Aurora Flight Sciences | Manassas, VA | Developing an aluminum air energy storage system for hydrogen production and power generation for heavy-duty transportation. | $1,499,375 |
| Giner | Newton, MA | Packaging hydrogen in a paste to power fuel cells, eliminating the need for high-pressure storage tanks. | $1,500,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | Working on a high-energy-density hydrogen carrier using methylcyclohexane for a fuel cell system. | $625,000 |
| Precision Combustion | North Haven, CT | Developing a hybrid fuel-cell battery system using liquid hydrogen as fuel. | $1,221,058 |
| Washington State University | Pullman, WA | Combining ceramic fuel cell technology with an innovative hydrogen packaging method. | $803,945 |
Access project descriptions for the teams announced today on the ARPA-E website. These selections represent the first phase of an expected two-phase program. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in 18 months following contract completion. If successful, PROPEL-1K technologies will electrify regional flights traveling as far as 1,000 miles with up to 100 people, all North American railroads, and all vessels operating exclusively in U.S. territorial waters.
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