Arctic Innovator Nathan Prisco joins UAF
October 29, 2020
The Arctic Innovator program sponsors innovators and entrepreneurs for two years to split their time between UAF and a national lab as they develop their technologies and pursue commercialization. The first Arctic Innovator, Nathan Prisco, started on Sept. 14 and will be working on an ammonia-based technology with the potential to transform Alaska’s energy economy and satisfy growing demand for cleaner fuels in the maritime industry.
“The recent International Maritime Organization’s 2020 low-sulfur mandate has resulted in more expensive fuel for the shipping industry. In the short term, this demand can largely be met, but future regulations will favor fuel-switching to either LNG or alternatives. Ammonia has emerged as a top contender because it is cheap, sulfur-free, and is a zero-carbon fuel liquid … As an energy carrier, ammonia makes it possible to export renewable energy in a manner similarly to LNG,” said Prisco, who recently graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a PhD in chemical engineering.
This program, formally titled the Arctic Advanced Manufacturing Innovator Program, gives innovators and entrepreneurs with a graduate degree in a STEM-related field multiple resources and guidance to maximize their likelihood of success. Innovators get to work in national labs with chosen mentors, they receive top-notch commercialization support, and they have the adventure of living in Alaska while working on arctic-related challenges.
This program is sponsored by DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and is a collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. To learn more about the program, visit the website or email uaf-oipc@alaska.edu.