The US is offering $42.3 million (£30.4m) of funding opportunity for the manufacturing industry to reduce carbon emissions and improve economic competitiveness.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the industrial sector accounted for 23% of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.

The funding will support manufacturing innovations for high performance clean energy technologies to drive economy-wide reductions in carbon emissions.

That could include next-generation manufacturing processes that improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of energy intensive industries and the development of novel materials that improve the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes and resulting products.

In addition, projects could include improving the systems and processes for how energy is stored, converted and used, including manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries to support electric vehicles (EVs).

Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said: “Manufacturing is at the heart of the American economy – providing good-paying jobs and creating the products that we rely on in our everyday lives.

“With these investments, the Department of Energy is helping reestablish US manufacturing leadership while scaling up the technologies needed to reduce our collective carbon footprint and address climate change.”