This federal Cooperative Agreement award from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E, CFDA 81.135) provides $1,944,013 in funding to Phoenix Boring Inc. to develop a modified horizontal directional drilling (HDD) method capable of efficiently undergrounding electric utilities in heterogeneous soil conditions that include hard rock. The project aims to design, test, and validate key components of the HDD system, including a thermal spallation drill and hybrid cutterhead, to reduce the time and cost of undergrounding in challenging terrain. Key tasks include detailed design of critical components, development of test protocols and a test stand, and field-testing to prepare for full-scale implementation. This award aligns with ARPA-E's mission to fund transformative research and development of innovative energy technologies to address critical energy challenges.
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