ADVERTISEABOUT USSUBMIT A STORYSUBSCRIBETERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY
Visit our family of Brands

Rice launches new center focused on membrane technology for energy conversion

new material

The new Rice Center for Membrane Excellence, or RiCeME, will focus on membrane separation practices and advance next-generation membrane materials, which are essential in energy conversion processes. Image via Getty Images.

Rice University announced the formation of a new center focused on developing advanced membrane materials and separation technologies for the energy transition.

Known as the Rice Center for Membrane Excellence, or RiCeME, the center will aim to secure funding to develop more efficient and sustainable membrane separation practices and advance next-generation membrane materials, which are essential in energy conversion processes.

The center, part of Rice's Water Technologies Entrepreneurship and Research, or WaTER Institute, also plans to drive water reuse and resource recovery solutions, perform bench-scale testing and pilot-scale demonstrations, and even host workforce development workshops and symposia on membrane science and technology.

The announcement was made during the Rice Global Paris Center Symposium in Paris.

RiCeME will be led by Menachem Elimelech, the Nancy and Clint Carlson Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice. His research focuses on membrane-based processes, advanced materials and nanotechnology.

“Houston is the ideal place to drive innovation in membrane separation technologies,” Elimelech said in a news release. “Membranes are critical for energy-related separations such as fuel cells, carbon capture and water purification. Our work will enhance efficiency and sustainability in these key sectors.”

RiCeME will work on building partnerships with Houston-area industries, including oil and gas, chemical, and energy sectors, according to the release. It will also rely on interdisciplinary research by engaging faculty from civil and environmental engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, materials science and nanoengineering, and chemistry departments at Rice.

“Breakthroughs in membrane technology will play a crucial role in addressing energy and sustainability challenges,” Ramamoorthy Ramesh, executive vice president for research at Rice, said in a news release. “RiCeME’s interdisciplinary approach ensures that our discoveries move from the lab to real-world applications, driving innovation at the intersection of science and industry.”.

From Your Site Articles
Ad Placement 300x100
Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Property Showcase

Houston energy tech platform Molecule closes series B funding

energy software

Houston-based energy trading risk management (ETRM) software company Molecule has completed a successful series B round for an undisclosed amount, according to a July 16 release from the company.

The raise was led by Sundance Growth, a California-based software growth equity firm.

Sameer Soleja, founder and CEO of Molecule, said in the release that the funding will allow the company to "double down on product innovation, grow our team, and reach even more markets."

Molecule closed a $12 million Series A round in 2021, led by Houston-based Mercury Fund, and has since seen significant growth. The company, which was founded in 2012, has expanded its customer base across the U.S., U.K., Europe, Canada and South America, according to the release.

Additionally, it has launched two new modules of its software platform. Its Hive module, which debuted in 2022, enables clients to manage their energy portfolio and renewable credits together in one scalable platform. It also introduced Elektra, an add-on for the power market to its platform, which allows for complex power market trading.

"Four years ago, we committed to becoming the leading platform for energy trading," Soleja said in the release. "Today, our customers are managing complex power and renewable portfolios across multiple jurisdictions, all within Molecule.”

Molecule is also known for its data-as-a-lake platform, Bigbang, which enables energy ETRM and commodities trading and risk management (CTRM) customers to automatically import trade data from Molecule and then merge it with various sources to conduct queries and analysis.

“Molecule is doing something very few companies in energy tech have done: combining mission-critical depth with cloud-native, scalable technology,” Christian Stewart, Sundance Growth managing director, added in the statement. “Sameer and his team have built a platform that’s not only powerful, but user-friendly—a rare combination in enterprise software. We’re thrilled to partner with Molecule as they continue to grow and transform the energy trading and risk management market.”

Houston's Gold H2 harvests clean hydrogen and more energy news to know

Trending Topics

Editor's note: There have been exciting developments in the energy transition sector this month, from Gold H2's successful field trial to a Houston leader becoming the first woman to win an international award. Below are the five biggest EnergyCapitalHTX stories from July 1-15, 2025:

Gold H2 harvests clean hydrogen from depleted California reservoirs in first field trial

Houston biotech company Gold H2's proprietary biotechnology has generated hydrogen from depleted oil reservoirs in a California field trial. Photo courtesy Gold H2.

Houston climatech company Gold H2 completed its first field trial that demonstrates subsurface bio-stimulated hydrogen production, which leverages microbiology and existing infrastructure to produce clean hydrogen. The project represented the first-of-its-kind application of Gold H2’s proprietary biotechnology, which generates hydrogen from depleted oil reservoirs, eliminating the need for new drilling, electrolysis or energy-intensive surface facilities. Continue reading.

Greentown Labs adds 6 Texas clean energy startups to Houston incubator

Six companies have joined Greentown Houston, focused on long-duration energy storage systems, 3D solar towers and more. Photo courtesy Greentown Labs.

Greentown Labs announced the six startups to join its Houston community in Q2 of 2025. The companies are among a group of 13 that joined the climatetech incubator, which is co-located in Houston and Boston, in the same time period. The companies that joined the Houston-based lab specialize in a number of clean energy applications, from long-duration energy storage systems to 3D solar towers.Continue reading.

Rice University spinout lands $500K NSF grant to boost chip sustainability

HEXAspec, founded by Tianshu Zhai and Chen-Yang Lin, has been awarded an NSF Partnership for Innovation grant. Photo courtesy of Rice

HEXAspec, a spinout from Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, was recently awarded a $500,000 National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation grant. The team says it will use the funding to continue enhancing semiconductor chips’ thermal conductivity to boost computing power. HEXAspec has developed breakthrough inorganic fillers that allow graphic processing units (GPUs) to use less water and electricity and generate less heat. The technology has major implications for the future of computing with AI sustainably. Continue reading.

Oxy's Vicki Hollub becomes first woman to win prestigious energy award

Oxy CEO Vicki Hollub (center) is the first woman to win WPC Energy's Dewhurst Award. Photo via 1pointfive.com

Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Houston-based Occidental (Oxy), has become the first woman to win WPC Energy’s prestigious Dewhurst Award. Hollub is the thirteenth recipient of the award, which is considered the highest honor from WPC Energy, a global, non-advocacy, non-political nonprofit organization that promotes the sustainable management of energy and energy products. She is just the fourth U.S. winner since the award launched in 1991. Continue reading.

10+ must-attend Houston energy transition events happening in Q3 2025

Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week returns in September. Photo via GHP

Q3 is here, and with it, a full slate of must-attend events for Houston energy professionals. On the agenda are casual mixers, exciting showcases, week-long happenings, and more. Mark your calendars for these top Houston energy transition events coming up from July to September 2025, and begin registering today. Continue reading.

D.C. energy company secures $233M for ERCOT battery storage projects

fresh funding

The Electricity Reliability Council of Texas’ grid will get a boost courtesy of Lydian Energy.

The D.C.-based company announced the successful financial close of its first institutional project financing totaling $233 million, backed by ING Group and KeyBank. The financing will support three battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Texas.

Lydian is an independent power producer that specializes in the development, construction and operation of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects. The company reports that it plans to add 550 megawatts of energy—which can power approximately 412,500 homes—to the Texas grid administered by ERCOT.

“This financing marks an important step forward as we continue executing on our vision to scale transformative battery storage projects that meet the evolving energy needs of the communities we serve,” Emre Ersenkal, CEO at Lydian Energy, said in a news release.

The projects include:

Pintail 

  • Located in San Patricio county
  • 200 megawatts
  • Backed by ING

Crane

  • Located in Crane county
  • 200 megawatts
  • Backed by ING

Headcamp

  • Located in Pecos county
  • 150 megawatts
  • Backed by KeyBank

ING served as the lender for Pintail and Crane projects valued at a combined total of approximately $139 million.

KeyBank provided a $94 million financing package for the Headcamp project. KeyBanc Capital Markets also structured the financing package for Headcamp.

The three projects are being developed under Excelsior Energy Capital’s Fund II. Lydian’s current portfolio comprises 20 solar and storage projects, totaling 4.7 gigawatts of capacity.

“Our support of Lydian’s portfolio reflects ING’s focus on identifying strategic funding opportunities that align with the accelerating demand for sustainable power,” Sven Wellock, managing director and head of energy–renewables and power at ING, said in the release. “Battery storage plays a central role in supporting grid resilience, and we’re pleased to back a platform with strong fundamentals and a clear execution path.”

The facilities are expected to be placed in service by Q4 2025. Lydian is also pursuing additional financing for further projects, which are expected to commence construction by the end of 2025.

“These financings represent more than capital – they reflect the strong demand for reliable energy infrastructure in high-growth U.S. markets,” Anne Marie Denman, co-founding partner at Excelsior Energy Capital and chair of the board at Lydian Energy, added in the news release. “We’re proud to stand behind Lydian’s talented team as they deliver on the promise of battery storage with bankable projects, proven partners, and disciplined execution. In the midst of a lot of noise, these financings are a reminder that capital flows where infrastructure is satisfying fundamental needs of our society – in this case, the need for reliable, sustainable, domestic, and affordable energy.”

View All Listings