GNO, Inc. Sunday Night Highlight – Louisiana Partnership Wins Largest Grant Ever Awarded by U.S. National Science Foundation

A statewide effort led by LSU, with more than 50 public and private partners, including GNO, Inc., has been awarded the largest and most competitive grant ever from the U.S. National Science Foundation – up to $160 million over the next 10 years.  Louisiana’s team, called “Future Use of Energy in Louisiana,” or FUEL, includes private energy companies, universities, community and technical colleges, and state agencies that will work together to drive technology and workforce development in support of Louisiana’s energy industry.  GNO, Inc. supported the grant application process over the past year as a member of the Core Leadership Team, facilitating the coordination and strategy for workforce development, entrepreneurship, and commercialization components.  Louisiana is one of ten winners from approximately 700 original applicants.

The “NSF Engines Grant” will support research and commercialization in responsible energy transition, particularly on how to grow jobs while decarbonizing Louisiana’s industrial corridor.  Louisiana is a world leader in energy expertise and solutions, with more than 250,000 people working in the energy, chemical and petrochemical industries. Louisiana’s geographic location and its existing infrastructure of plants, refineries and 50,000 miles of pipelines make the state the natural epicenter of energy transition. Focus areas of the grant will include carbon capture, transport, and storage; hydrogen; use of carbon dioxide to produce low-carbon fuels and essential carbon-based products; water use and management; sustainable manufacturing; and policy development.

Grant partners include the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; the Louisiana Board of Regents; the Baton Rouge Area Chamber; Greater New Orleans, Inc.; ExxonMobil; Shell; and Baker Hughes. FUEL will build upon the work already being done by GNO, Inc.’s H2theFuture green hydrogen grant, and the LSU Institute for Energy Innovation, which was established in 2022 to coordinate LSU’s efforts related to the energy transition while also serving as a single access point to the university’s energy resources.  Through Louisiana Economic Development, the state will contribute to the project with an additional $67.5 million in funding over the next 10 years. That funding will aim to help higher education partners build world-class teams to convert research into practical solutions.

You can read more about the winning FUEL grant here.