A number of US and Chinese institutions are to collaborate on the development of clean coal and clean vehicle technologies with funding totalling $100 million from the two countries.
Although Cina and the USA remain at loggerheads in negotiations to seal an international deal on climate change, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has agreed to $25 million of funding over five years for two consortia led by the University of Michigan and West Virginia University. The funds will be disbursed under the US-China Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) and will be matched by the two universities.
Chinese counterparts will contribute an additional $50 million of funds, says the DOE.
The US is keen to maintain strong ties with countries such as China that already have large markets for renewable and clean energy technologies. A new report from consulting firm Ernst & Young shows that China has overtaken the US in a quarterly index of the most attractive countries for renewable energy projects.
“The US-China Clean Energy Research Centre will help accelerate the development and deployment of clean vehicle and clean coal technologies here at home,” said US Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This new partnership will also create new export opportunities for American companies, ensure the United States remains at the forefront of technology innovation, and help to reduce global carbon pollution.”
The West Virginia University-led consortium includes companies such as GE, Babcock & Wilcox and American Electric Power and will develop and test new technologies for carbon capture and storage.
The USA and China are the world’s largest energy consumers and emitters of greenhouse gases. A DOE statement said that this means that the two countries will “play central roles in the world’s transition to a clean energy economy in the years ahead”.
