The CleanTech Alliance in Washington state has received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to launch a hub focused on carbon removal, storage, and utilization. This initiative, called the Washington Energy – Carbon Advancement Network (WECAN), aims to address the urgent need to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the global efforts to reduce emissions fall behind. WECAN will receive funding over five years to support staff and programming in the state.
The SBA awarded 14 grants to establish regional innovation clusters, with WECAN being the only one in the Pacific Northwest. Some of the carbon-related startups in Washington that will benefit from this hub include Twelve, CarbonQuest, Banyu Carbon, Ebb Carbon, and Myno Carbon. These startups are working on technologies ranging from sustainable aviation fuel production to carbon capture devices for buildings and industrial sites, as well as extracting carbon dioxide from the ocean and storing carbon in biochar.
In addition to WECAN, another carbon consortium called the Ankeron Carbon Management Hub received $3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for a two-year study on carbon removal in the Pacific Northwest. This group is exploring opportunities to capture carbon and store it in rocks, as well as converting it into sustainable aviation fuels and other compounds. The region has also secured federal hub designations for hydrogen fuel, sustainable mass timber building materials, and lightweight aircraft, highlighting the focus on addressing climate-related issues in the area.
The urgency to develop carbon removal technologies is increasing as efforts to reduce emissions are falling short globally. The WECAN hub aims to support startups and research efforts in Washington state to advance carbon removal, storage, and utilization technologies. By funding staff and programming over five years, the hub will play a crucial role in accelerating innovation in this field and supporting the state’s growing carbon removal ventures.
The Pacific Northwest region is home to several carbon-related startups that are working on innovative technologies to address climate change. These startups, including Twelve, CarbonQuest, Banyu Carbon, Ebb Carbon, and Myno Carbon, are developing solutions for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in various forms. With the support of the WECAN hub and other initiatives in the region, these startups are poised to make significant contributions to advancing carbon removal technologies and combating climate change.
Overall, the establishment of the WECAN hub in Washington state represents a significant step towards accelerating innovation in carbon removal, storage, and utilization technologies. By providing funding and support for startups and research efforts in the region, the hub will help address the urgent need to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and combat climate change. With other carbon-related initiatives already underway in the Pacific Northwest, the region is poised to become a hub for innovation in addressing climate-related challenges.
