Diversified Energy advances renewable technologies

Diversified Energy Corp. has moved forward on three of its renewable energy technologies through funding from various U.S. agencies.

The company’s OmniGas program, designed to gasify hydrocarbon feedstocks for electricity manufacturing, was approved for a second year of funding through the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Testing Laboratory. Diversified Energy officials said the project is on track for a 1-ton prototype by the middle of next year.

A technology the company has licensed from North Carolina State University recently received a four-year, multi-million dollar award to study algae to biofuels conversions. The technology, called Centia, can convert any fat or lipid into transportation fuel.

Diversified also received the go-ahead from the DoE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy for projects related to the Centia and OmniGas technologies.

The Gilbert-based company founded by Dave Thompson has specialized in advanced research on renewable energy technologies.