fresh funding

Houston tech company lands DARPA grant to develop ocean energy system

Yokogawa Corporation of America will work with eight research institutions to develop a new way to harvest energy from oceans. Photo via Getty Images.

Sugar Land-based advanced tech company Yokogawa Corporation of America, in collaboration with eight research institutions, has been awarded a $7.8 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and test a biologically fueled energy system.

The system known as Persistent Oceanographic Device Power, or PODPower, shows a pioneering advancement in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), a technology that aims to redefine how energy is harvested from oceans.

“Advancements in this area will play a role in our future as we harness this knowledge to address GHG emissions, produce clean energy, and enhance waste treatment,” Amro Hassanein, co-principal investigator and technology strategist, said in a news release.

The grant funds the system's Phase 1 development and deployment, and research is scheduled to continue through the summer of 2026. The company says the project has potential applications in climate monitoring, marine research, national security and clean energy generation.

The initiative will attempt to develop an MFC capable of generating up to 10 watts of continuous power for oceanic research and sensing devices through the use of microorganisms found in ocean water and specific bacteria samples.

“MFCs can process a variety of organic substrates including wastewater, agricultural residues, industrial byproducts, and marine biomass, demonstrating their versatility in applications such as on-site power generation bioremediation and biosensing,” Hassanein said in the news release.

As the only private company in the project, Yokogawa will lead the technical aspect to optimize the MFC technology through precision monitoring, data acquisition and machine learning algorithms.

The project team also includes collaborators from:

  • University of Maryland
  • Harvard University
  • Battelle
  • George Washington University
  • The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology at the University of Maryland
  • Baltimore County
  • James Madison University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • The University of Delaware.

Yokogawa believes that the system could power ocean sensing devices that provide key information for monitoring climate change, maintaining national security and understanding marine environments. The project plans to integrate bio-inspired organic matter collection systems, advanced fermentation processes and novel electrode designs.

Yokogawa Corporation of America is an affiliate of Tokyo-based manufacturing company Yokogawa. It moved its headquarters to Sugar Land in 2009.

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A View From HETI

Houston-based Anew Climate will provide renewable natural gas to Canada-based Seaspan. Photo via seaspan.com

Houston-headquartered environmental services firm Anew Climate and Vancouver-based ship-to-ship marine bunkering of liquified natural gas company Seaspan Energy have entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic agreement to offer the delivery of renewable liquefied natural gas (R-LNG) to customers on the North American West Coast.

“We’re proud to collaborate with Anew Climate to forge a new path for lower-carbon marine fuel,” Harly Penner, president of Seaspan Energy, said in a news release. “This partnership supports our goal to provide cleaner energy solutions to the maritime industry and demonstrates our dedication to innovation and environmental leadership.”

Anew will supply renewable natural gas (RNG) certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). The RNG will comply with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Net-Zero Framework, which recently approved measures to encourage emissions reductions, and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation in the European Union.

Together, the companies aim to identify and develop commercial opportunities to promote the adoption of lower-carbon fuels and deliver ISCC-certified renewable liquified natural gas (R-LNG) to ships throughout the North American West Coast.

The partnership builds upon Anew Climate’s bio-LNG bunkering, which was developed in 2021 when the company was known as Element Markets. It was the first bio-LNG bunkering, or refueling with bio-LNG, in the U.S.

“At a time when global shipping is under pressure to decarbonize, this partnership brings together two innovators committed to advancing sustainable solutions,” Andy Brosnan, president of Anew Climate Low Carbon Fuels, said in a news release. “By combining Anew’s expertise in RNG with Seaspan’s marine logistic capabilities, we’re offering a market-leading approach to help shipowners meet evolving emissions requirements and reduce their environmental impact without compromising performance.”

In July, Anew also extended its agreement with CNX Resources to market remediated mine gas, which is an ultra-low carbon intensity energy source from captured waste methane. It also announced a 10-year agreement earlier this summer with Aurora Sustainable Lands and Microsoft to deliver 4.8 million nature-based carbon removal credits. Anew Climate, founded in 2001, states that its mission is to reduce emissions, environmental restoration and impact the climate in a positive way.

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