North Shore Defense Startup Nets $3.2 Million In Federal Grants

MIDDLETON, MA — A Middleton defense startup that uses clean technology and advanced combustion techniques to reduce fuel consumption and emissions from jet engines has been awarded $3.2 in federal grants through the Small Business Innovation Research Program.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton's office said FGC Plasma Solutions Inc. received a $1.2 million Department of Energy grant and a $2 million Department of Defense grant.

FGC Plasma Solutions develops advanced combustion technology — which incorporates plasma to better control combustion in jet engines and gas turbines to reduce emissions. This advanced technology has a range of potential applications, from making air travel more sustainable to enhancing U.S. defense capabilities.

"Massachusetts has a rich history of defense innovation, and this tradition continues in Middleton with the cutting-edge work of FGC Plasma Solutions," Moulton said. "As climate change increasingly exacerbates geopolitical threats, it is imperative that our government prioritize grants like this one, which will help the U.S. maintain a technological edge on the battlefield while leaving a lighter environmental footprint."

The commercial application of FGC Plasma’s technology aims to reduce emissions and fuel burn for commercial air travel and gas-fired power production.

"At FGC Plasma, we use electrical discharges to improve combustion at the molecular level," said Felipe Gomez del Campo, founder and CEO of FGC Plasma Solutions. "We work across energy, aerospace and defense using our technology to develop propulsion systems with lower emissions and improved performance.

"Thanks to the support of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy through the SBIR program, and leveraging our venture capital funding, we will continue to make strides in the development of this technology with major strategic and academic partners.”

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)