A Worcester Polytechnic Institute researcher is being awarded a $40,000 grant to fund experimentation of a new biomass-to-energy process.
According to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) which awarded the grant, Ravindra Datta’s project is one of five in Massachusetts to receive funding, totaling $200,000.
Datta will study using molten salts in the biomass-to-energy process, which MassCEC said may be more efficient and cost-effective at producing renewable liquid fuels and chemicals than what’s already available.
The MassCEC Catalyst Program, which is funded by MassCEC and managed by MTTC, awards early-stage researchers grant awards up to $40,000, assisting them in demonstrating commercial viability of clean energy technology developed at startups or research institutions. The goal is to help the researchers get to a point where they can secure additional funding.
“This funding is truly catalytic in helping to build entrepreneurial ventures in Massachusetts,” said Abigail Barrow, director of the MTTC. “A major initial hurdle for researchers is commercialization. These small grants take technologies from the idea to prototype to demonstrate that technologies work, helping entrepreneurs attract additional funding.”
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