The US Department of Energy (DOE), Israel’s Ministry of Energy (MoE) along with the Israel Innovation Authority have selected seven clean energy projects to receive $6.4 million under the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program. The total value of the projects is $15.4 million, which includes $9 million of cost share from the companies selected for funding.

Each project is conducted by a US and an Israeli partner. Selected projects address energy challenges and opportunities that are of interest to both countries and focus on commercializing clean energy technologies that improve economic competitiveness, create jobs and support innovative companies.

The BIRD Energy program continues to deliver results in energy, enhancing the energy security of both the United States and Israel. To date, this innovative program has commercialized seven new clean energy technologies and attracted more than $450 million in follow-on investment, creating jobs in both countries.

—,US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette

The seven approved projects are:

• Chakratec Ltd. (Lod, Israel) and Blink Charging Co. (Miami Beach, FL) will develop and demonstrate boosting EV charging through energy storage system.

• Elbit Systems Ltd. (Haifa, Israel)) and Ballard Unmanned Systems Inc. (Southborough, MA), will develop a hydrogen powered vertical take-off and landing drone for long endurance and zero emission.

• Exency Ltd. (Sderot, Israel) and Brayton Energy, LLC (Hampton, NH), will develop a low cost and high efficiency solid biomass and solid waste fueled electricity generation system.

• Ramot at Tel-Aviv University Ltd. (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Gas Technologies LLC (Walloon Lake, MI), will develop scalable production of a novel methane dry reforming catalyst and its implementation into a synthetic fuel plant.

• Netafim Irrigation (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Polaris Energy Services (San Luis Obispo, CA), will develop an integrated irrigation & energy management system.

• Eta-Bar Ltd. (Petach-Tikva, Israel) and Adesto Technologies Corp. (Santa Clara, CA), will develop an efficient power supply for grid connected electronic devices.

• EcoPlant Technological Innovation Ltd. (Kibbutz Gevim, Israel) and Atlas Machine and Supply, Inc. (Louisville, KY) will develop a novel solution to optimize energy efficiency and improve the quality of compressed air systems for the food & beverage industry.

BIRD Energy began in 2009 as a result of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Since then and including the projects announced today, BIRD Energy has funded forty-nine projects with a total government investment of approximately $38 million, in addition to the $49 million in matching funds coming from the private sector.

Projects that qualify for BIRD Energy funding must include one US 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 that involves innovation in the area of energy and is of mutual interest to both countries. BIRD Energy has a rigorous review process and selects the most technologically meritorious projects along with those that are most likely to commercialize and bring about significant impact. Qualified projects must contribute at least 50% to project costs and commit to repayments if the project leads to commercial success.