North Dakota Ag Connection - $300,000 to Develop Biomass-based Iron Production

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$300,000 to Develop Biomass-based Iron Production
North Dakota Ag Connection - 06/27/2016

Senator John Hoeven announced that the Department of Energy has approved a $300,000 grant for Carbontec Energy Corporation of Bismarck to partner with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Purdue University to develop technologies for using biomass-based heating to produce high-quality iron nuggets.

"This research supports our all-of-the-above approach to energy development," said Hoeven. "By increasing the effectiveness and uses of biomass energy, we can make what would otherwise be waste products into an opportunity for additional income for our agriculture producers. Further, by producing iron products more cost-effectively and with better environmental stewardship, we can reduce our reliance on iron imports, support job creation at home and lower costs for consumers."

The funding will enable Carbontec to utilize supercomputers and modeling at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Purdue University to develop and design a furnace for the company's E-Nugget process, which uses biomass, like waste wood and sugar beet products, to produce iron nuggets. The project is expected to benefit the steel industry, enabling iron to be produced in the U.S. at a lower cost than imported iron.

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