Spero Renewables announces $2M cooperative agreement with DOE

In California, Spero Renewables LLC sealed a $2 million cooperative agreement with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the Department of Energy to advance its SperoSet technology towards commercialization. Spero’s proprietary technology produces lignin based thermoset polymers that are renewable and recyclable.

Spero will first target its SperoSet technology for the manufacture of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs). These high-tech plastics are as strong as steel but light weight and improve fuel efficiency in automotive. SperoSet is made from renewable sources such as surplus wood and recyclable unlike petroleum-based plastic.

“Compared to current crude oil starting material, SperoSet will have a small carbon footprint, while still affording all of us the modern amenities that thermoset plastics offer,” notes Chief Technology Officer Ian Klein.  With this new EERE joint cooperative agreement, Spero is currently looking toward identifying the best fit application to roll the technology out into, before implementing SperoSet into broader high-performance plastics markets.