BIRD Energy invests $7.5 million in Israel-U.S. clean energy projects
BIRD Energy invests $7.5 million in Israel-U.S. clean energy projects
This initiative aims to foster innovation in energy efficiency, hydrogen energy, recycling, and storage.
The BIRD Energy program has announced its latest investment of $7.5 million to fund five collaborative clean energy projects between Israel and the United States. This initiative aims to foster innovation in energy efficiency, hydrogen energy, recycling, and storage, with a total project value of $16 million, including private sector contributions.
The approved projects are as follows:
- Lucy Borchard Shipping (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Newlight Marine Technologies (New York, NY) - will develop and test hydrogen as a dual fuel for marine engines, promoting sustainable shipping solutions.
- Nitrofix (Petach Tikva, Israel) and 1S1 Energy (Portola Valley, CA) - will collaborate to create advanced green ammonia technology.
- OASIX Energy (Tel Aviv, Israel) and EN-POWER GROUP (New York, NY) - will demonstrate a heat pump coupled with dual-thermal energy storage to improve energy efficiency in residential buildings.
- Phinergy (Lod, Israel) and New York Power Authority (New York, NY) - aim to replace traditional emergency generators with aluminum-air technology for a cleaner alternative.
- Plasticback (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Freepoint Eco-Systems (Stamford, CT) - will advance chemical recycling technologies for PVC waste streams.
“BIRD Energy fosters innovative projects through partnerships between leading Israeli and U.S. companies in renewable and clean energy, aligning with the global trend of investing billions in the sector,” said Dror Bin, CEO at Israel Innovation Authority. “The five selected joint projects are the most technologically promising, chosen for their high commercialization potential and significant impact. This initiative enhances the competitiveness of Israeli companies in the global market, leveraging Israel's economic strengths while driving progress in renewable energy research, development, and production.”
Projects that qualify for BIRD Energy funding must include one U.S. and one Israeli company or a company from one of the countries paired with a university or research institution from the other. The partners must present a project involving energy innovation that is of mutual interest to both countries. Qualified projects must contribute at least 50% to project costs and commit to repayments if the project leads to commercial success.
“BIRD Energy leads joint technological projects that contribute locally and globally to creating more innovative and efficient energy systems. It fosters a shared ecosystem, enabling Israeli and U.S. energy companies to collaborate, commercialize, and reach new markets,” said Yossi Dayan, Director General at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. Andrew Light, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs at the Department of Energy, added: “BIRD Energy’s tradition of finding unique ways to expand the clean energy economy helps drive climate and energy security solutions for the benefit of both countries and the world.”
