MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — West Virginia University engineers were awarded a $3 million cooperative agreement from the United States Department of Energy. John Hu and Xingbo Liu of the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources look to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions caused by natural gas flaring. They also want to harness the gas into carbon and hydrogen for fuel.
The three-year collaborate project could benefit industries including the carbon fiber, carbon composite, electronics, polymer additives and other industries.
“Abundant shale gas in the Appalachian basin and other areas not only helps the U.S. to achieve the energy independence, it is also a bridging fuel toward renewable energy,” said Liu in a release.
The process will involve building a modular unit that is transportable and deployed directly at the well site. This is more efficient than units usually constructed at the extraction site, which are larger and more expensive.
WVU is collaborating with NC State University, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, H-Quest, SoCalGas, and C4-MCP.
Read More: West Virginia University receives $3 million to study natural gas flares | WV