Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000785
Apply for DE FOA 0000785
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bench and Pilot Scale Applications for Research and Development of Post Combustion and Pre Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies for Coal Fired Power Plants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089 Fossil Energy Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 5, 2013 and posted on Mar 14, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 2, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $100,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 21 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- See Section III of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for eligibility requirements.
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Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity DE-FOA-0000785, titled "Bench and Pilot Scale Applications for Research and Development of Post Combustion and Pre Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies for Coal Fired Power Plants," was a U.S. Department of Energy effort administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to push carbon capture technologies closer to real-world deployment in coal-based power generation. Its central purpose was to develop practical solutions that reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired electricity, responding directly to concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change while recognizing that coal plants were still a significant part of the power mix at the time. Rather than funding early, purely conceptual work, the announcement emphasized hands-on research, development, and testing intended to prove performance and reliability at bench scale and small pilot scale, where engineering challenges and integration issues start to look more like they do in an operating plant.
The scope focused on two major technical pathways for capturing CO2: post-combustion capture and pre-combustion capture. Post-combustion technologies target CO2 in flue gas after coal is burned, which generally involves treating a large-volume, low-pressure gas stream with relatively dilute CO2. Pre-combustion approaches capture CO2 before combustion, typically associated with gasification or other processes where fuel is converted into syngas and CO2 can be separated at higher pressures and different chemical conditions. By calling for both categories, NETL signaled interest in improving capture options across multiple coal plant configurations, including conventional pulverized coal systems (more aligned with post-combustion retrofits) and gasification-based systems (more aligned with pre-combustion capture), with the overall goal of making capture more efficient, scalable, and compatible with power plant operations.
Applicants were invited to submit projects aimed at bench-scale development and testing as well as small pilot-scale demonstrations of select capture system concepts. Bench-scale work generally implies controlled experiments that can validate core chemistry, materials behavior, process performance, and operating envelopes, while small pilot-scale testing is meant to show that the technology can operate continuously, handle realistic impurities, and maintain performance under conditions that resemble actual plant duty cycles. In practice, these kinds of projects often address issues like capture efficiency, energy penalty, solvent or sorbent stability, degradation rates, corrosion, operability, and integration with upstream and downstream plant equipment. The announcement was structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means DOE anticipated substantial involvement in technical direction, milestones, and oversight, rather than operating as a hands-off grant.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity was categorized as discretionary funding, with an activity focus in energy science and technology and other research and development under CFDA 81.089 (Fossil Energy Research and Development). The program anticipated making up to 21 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $100,000,000 across all selected projects. The listing shows no explicit award floor or ceiling, which usually indicates that project sizes could vary and that applicants needed to consult the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for topic areas, budget guidance, and project period expectations. A cost-sharing requirement applied, meaning awardees were expected to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources, a common DOE approach intended to ensure industry or partner commitment and to leverage federal funds.
Eligibility was described as unrestricted in broad terms, open to any type of entity, but still subject to specific eligibility rules and conditions described in Section III of the FOA. That typically includes details such as whether foreign entities can apply, requirements for teaming arrangements, limitations on certain applicant types, and any mandatory registrations or compliance expectations. The opportunity was posted March 14, 2013, with an application closing date of May 2, 2013, and it was later archived on August 5, 2013, indicating it was a time-bound competitive solicitation with a fixed submission window. For access issues or questions, NETL provided a point of contact: Ashley E. Reichl (Ashley.Reichl@NETL.DOE.GOV), and directed applicants to the FedConnect portal for the full announcement and related documents.
Overall, this FOA was designed to move promising CO2 capture technologies beyond lab concepts into validated bench and pilot demonstrations tailored to coal-fired power plant realities, with DOE and NETL using cost-shared cooperative agreements to accelerate development, reduce technical risk, and build a pipeline of capture solutions that could ultimately support large-scale deployment and meaningful emissions reductions.
FAQs: DE-FOA-0000785 (NETL/DOE) Carbon Dioxide Capture R&D for Coal-Fired Power Plants
What is the funding opportunity number and title?
The opportunity is DE-FOA-0000785, titled "Bench and Pilot Scale Applications for Research and Development of Post Combustion and Pre Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture Technologies for Coal Fired Power Plants."
Which agency offered this funding?
It was a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
What was the main purpose of this FOA?
The central purpose was to push carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technologies closer to real-world deployment for coal-based power generation by supporting practical research, development, and testing at bench scale and small pilot scale.
What problem was this program trying to address?
The FOA responded to concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change, while recognizing that coal-fired power plants were still a significant part of the electricity mix at the time.
What types of CO2 capture approaches were included in the scope?
The scope focused on two pathways: post-combustion CO2 capture and pre-combustion CO2 capture.
What is post-combustion CO2 capture in the context of this FOA?
Post-combustion capture targets CO2 in the flue gas after coal is burned, typically involving treatment of a large-volume, low-pressure gas stream with relatively dilute CO2.
What is pre-combustion CO2 capture in the context of this FOA?
Pre-combustion capture involves capturing CO2 before combustion, commonly associated with gasification or related processes where fuel is converted into syngas and CO2 can be separated under higher-pressure and different chemical conditions.
What kinds of coal power plant configurations did the FOA align with?
By including both post-combustion and pre-combustion pathways, the FOA aligned with multiple coal plant configurations, including conventional pulverized coal systems (often linked with post-combustion retrofits) and gasification-based systems (often linked with pre-combustion capture).
What project scales were targeted?
The FOA invited projects aimed at bench-scale development and testing as well as small pilot-scale demonstrations of select CO2 capture system concepts.
What is meant by "bench-scale" work here?
Bench-scale work generally refers to controlled experiments used to validate core chemistry, materials behavior, process performance, and operating envelopes.
What is meant by "small pilot-scale" testing here?
Small pilot-scale testing is intended to show that a technology can operate continuously, handle realistic impurities, and maintain performance under conditions resembling actual power plant duty cycles.
What kinds of technical issues were these projects expected to address?
Projects at these scales often address issues such as capture efficiency, energy penalty, solvent or sorbent stability, degradation rates, corrosion, operability, and integration with upstream and downstream plant equipment.
Was this funding for early-stage conceptual research?
No. The announcement emphasized hands-on R&D and testing intended to prove performance and reliability at bench scale and small pilot scale, rather than purely conceptual work.
What type of award instrument was used?
The FOA was structured as a cooperative agreement.
What does a cooperative agreement imply for project oversight?
A cooperative agreement typically means DOE anticipated substantial involvement in technical direction, milestones, and oversight, rather than operating as a hands-off grant.
How was this opportunity categorized from a funding perspective?
It was categorized as discretionary funding, with an activity focus in energy science and technology and other research and development.
What CFDA program was associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity was listed under CFDA 81.089, Fossil Energy Research and Development.
How many awards were anticipated?
The program anticipated making up to 21 awards.
What was the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding level across all selected projects was $100,000,000.
Was there a stated minimum or maximum award amount?
No explicit award floor or ceiling was listed in the provided summary; this often means project sizes could vary and applicants would need to consult the full FOA for topic areas, budget guidance, and project period expectations.
Was cost sharing required?
Yes. A cost-sharing requirement applied, meaning awardees were expected to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources.
Why does DOE commonly require cost sharing for opportunities like this?
As described, cost sharing is a common DOE approach intended to ensure industry or partner commitment and to leverage federal funds.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted in broad terms, open to any type of entity, but still subject to the specific eligibility rules and conditions described in Section III of the FOA.
Where would applicants find the detailed eligibility requirements?
The summary points to Section III of the FOA as the location for specific eligibility rules and conditions.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on March 14, 2013.
What was the application closing date?
The application closing date was May 2, 2013.
Is this funding opportunity still open?
No. It was later archived on August 5, 2013, indicating it was a time-bound competitive solicitation with a fixed submission window.
Where were applicants directed to access the full announcement and documents?
Applicants were directed to the FedConnect portal for the full announcement and related documents.
Who was the point of contact for questions or access issues?
NETL provided a point of contact: Ashley E. Reichl (Ashley.Reichl@NETL.DOE.GOV).
What overall outcomes was DOE/NETL trying to achieve through this FOA?
The FOA aimed to accelerate development, reduce technical risk, and build a pipeline of CO2 capture solutions by moving promising technologies into validated bench and pilot demonstrations tailored to coal-fired power plant realities, supporting eventual large-scale deployment and meaningful emissions reductions.
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| Support of Advanced Fossil Resource Utilization Research by Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Other Minority Institutions (HBCU/OMI) Apply for DE FOA 0001242 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001242 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $250,000 |
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