Ahmeek, MI– Neuvokas Corporation has been awarded $2MM in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) group. The funding will initiate the development of an energy efficient manufacturing process to produce CBF (continuous basalt fiber) in the United States.
“When successful, this development will lead to major advancements in the sustainability of the world’s reinforced concrete infrastructure,” said Erik Kiilunen, CEO, Neuvokas, “We are excited to be a part of the ARPA-E program and to bring this new technology to life.”
As an innovator in composites manufacturing, Neuvokas has developed a proprietary process to manufacture fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebar at speeds over 20 times faster than their leading competitors. This project will focus on the development of a continuous basalt fiber process that will ultimately integrate with existing Neuvokas rebar manufacturing. Using rebar manufactured with CBF instead of steel to reinforce concrete will reduce greenhouse gases and increase service life, increasing time to major maintenance by more than 30 years. This will enable greater than 0.5 quad (146,535,500,000 kWh) of energy savings per year in the United States alone.
About ARPA-E’s OPEN+ Program: Neuvokas Corporation received this competitive award from ARPA-E’s OPEN+ program, in which teams develop innovative technologies to transform the nation’s energy system. The agency decided to create the OPEN+ cohorts—drawing from the large and impressive OPEN 2018 application pool—to focus on particular topics in energy where ARPA-E sees significant opportunities to innovate and create positive change.
About Neuvokas Corporation: Neuvokas Corporation is a five-year-old start-up focused on commoditizing Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) rebar. Neuvokas is based in Ahmeek Michigan, employs 22 people and sells its product GatorBar® nationally through direct and distributor sales.