UW Earns $400K DOE Award

The University of Wyoming has been selected to negotiate a nearly $400,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbon and Geothermal Energy Office.

According to UW, the project aims to improve water efficiency and reduce the volume of wastewater requiring management at coal-based power plants.

The funding is part of a broader federal initiative to refurbish and modernize the nation’s existing coal-fired power plants. The Department of Energy effort is intended to support practical, high-impact projects that improve the efficiency, operating life and performance of coal and natural gas infrastructure.

Co-led by Erica Belmont, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and an adjunct professor in the university’s School of Energy Resources, and Trina Igelsrud-Pfeiffer, director of the Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion, the project was one of nine selected nationwide across three topic areas. 

UW reports that both leaders are heavily involved in work to support Wyoming’s coal industry. 

The project, titled “Thermal Bottom Ash Drying to Reduce Water Burdens and Facilitate Critical Mineral Recovery and CCUS Integration,” will evaluate the technical, environmental and economic viability of applying advanced thermal drying technology to bottom ash transport water.

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