Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001233
Apply for DE FOA 0001233
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Emerging Technologies for Methane Production via Biological In Situ Coal Conversion and Low Cost Oxygen Production for Gasification" 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 Feb 11, 2015 and posted on Feb 11, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 13, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,022,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 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 Eligibility Information in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity DE FOA 0001233, titled "Emerging Technologies for Methane Production via Biological In Situ Coal Conversion and Low Cost Oxygen Production for Gasification," was a Fiscal Year 2015 competitive solicitation issued by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Energy Systems (AES) Program. It was released as a discretionary research and development opportunity in the Gasification Systems technology area, with awards planned as cooperative agreements. In practice, that means DOE expected to have substantial involvement during the projects (for example, through technical direction, milestone reviews, and coordination) rather than simply providing a grant with minimal federal participation.
The announcement focused on two specific Areas of Interest tied to improving the economics and enabling technology of coal-related energy systems. The first Area of Interest targeted biological in situ coal conversion, sometimes described as in situ biogasification of coal seams. The aim was to accelerate biological processes occurring in coal beds so that coal could be converted underground into methane more quickly and efficiently. The overarching goal was to drive the resulting methane production cost below that of typical U.S. natural gas recovery methods, which implies an emphasis on practical, scalable approaches that could eventually compete with conventional gas production on a cost basis. This area is essentially about turning coal resources into a gaseous fuel without traditional mining and surface gasification, using biological pathways to promote methane generation within the seam.
The second Area of Interest addressed a major cost component of coal gasification: oxygen supply. Many gasification configurations rely on oxygen, and the commercial state-of-the-art for oxygen production (commonly large cryogenic air separation) can be capital-intensive and energy-intensive. This topic sought technologies that could provide oxygen for gasification at a significantly lower cost than current commercial approaches. The intent was to reduce one of the key cost barriers to advanced gasification systems by supporting alternative oxygen production methods that could lower both capital and operating costs, improve efficiency, or simplify integration with gasification plants.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the solicitation anticipated up to four awards with an estimated total funding level of about $4,022,000. The announcement listed no specific award ceiling or floor, which typically indicates that individual project sizes were expected to be justified by the proposed scope and negotiated during selection and award. A cost sharing requirement applied, meaning recipients would need to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources, consistent with DOE cost-share policies for applied energy technology development.
Eligibility was broadly described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity, with the caveat that applicants needed to follow the detailed eligibility rules in Section III of the full Funding Opportunity Announcement. That structure is common for DOE FOAs and usually covers items like eligible entity types, teaming and subcontracting rules, and any restrictions related to foreign ownership, performance location, or other compliance conditions. The opportunity was posted on February 11, 2015, with an application deadline of April 13, 2015, and it was later archived on July 31, 2015. The CFDA number associated with it was 81.089, which corresponds to Fossil Energy Research and Development.
For applicants at the time, the practical takeaway was that NETL was looking for R and D projects that could measurably improve the cost and feasibility of two enabling pieces of advanced coal utilization: (1) biologically driven methane generation directly in coal seams as a lower-cost alternative pathway to methane supply, and (2) cheaper oxygen production technologies to make oxygen-blown gasification more economically competitive. The point of contact listed for access issues and administrative questions was Ashley E. Reichl at NETL (Ashley.Reichl@NETL.DOE.GOV), and the full announcement materials were available through FedConnect.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is DE-FOA-0001233?
DE-FOA-0001233 is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity issued by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under the Advanced Energy Systems (AES) Program. The full title is "Emerging Technologies for Methane Production via Biological In Situ Coal Conversion and Low Cost Oxygen Production for Gasification."
What fiscal year was this solicitation issued under?
This was a Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 competitive solicitation.
Which DOE office and program sponsored the opportunity?
The opportunity was issued by NETL under DOE's Advanced Energy Systems (AES) Program.
What technology area did this FOA fall under?
The FOA was released as a discretionary research and development opportunity in the Gasification Systems technology area.
What type of award instrument was planned?
Awards were planned as cooperative agreements.
What does it mean that awards were "cooperative agreements"?
In this FOA, a cooperative agreement indicates DOE expected substantial involvement during the project period. Examples described include technical direction, milestone reviews, and coordination, rather than providing funding with minimal federal participation.
What were the main Areas of Interest in this funding opportunity?
The FOA focused on two Areas of Interest: (1) methane production via biological in situ coal conversion (in situ biogasification of coal seams), and (2) low-cost oxygen production for gasification.
What was Area of Interest 1 about (biological in situ coal conversion)?
Area of Interest 1 targeted biological in situ coal conversion, sometimes described as in situ biogasification of coal seams. The intent was to accelerate biological processes occurring in coal beds so coal could be converted underground into methane more quickly and efficiently.
What performance or economic goal was stated for biological in situ coal conversion?
The stated overarching goal was to drive the resulting methane production cost below that of typical U.S. natural gas recovery methods, emphasizing practical and scalable approaches that could eventually compete on a cost basis with conventional gas production.
Does Area of Interest 1 involve surface mining or traditional surface gasification?
The description emphasizes converting coal underground into a gaseous fuel using biological pathways within the seam, rather than traditional mining and surface gasification.
What was Area of Interest 2 about (low-cost oxygen production)?
Area of Interest 2 focused on oxygen supply for coal gasification. Because many gasification configurations rely on oxygen, the FOA sought technologies that could provide oxygen at significantly lower cost than current commercial approaches.
Why was oxygen production considered a key issue for gasification economics?
The FOA described oxygen supply as a major cost component for coal gasification, noting that commercial state-of-the-art oxygen production (commonly large cryogenic air separation) can be capital-intensive and energy-intensive.
What outcomes were expected from the low-cost oxygen production topic?
The intent was to reduce a key cost barrier to advanced gasification systems by supporting alternative oxygen production methods that could lower capital and operating costs, improve efficiency, or simplify integration with gasification plants.
How much total funding was estimated for this FOA?
The solicitation anticipated an estimated total funding level of about $4,022,000.
How many awards were anticipated?
The FOA anticipated up to four awards.
Was there a minimum or maximum award size listed?
No specific award ceiling or floor was listed in the announcement. This generally indicates that individual project funding levels were expected to be justified by the proposed scope and negotiated during selection and award.
Was cost sharing required?
Yes. A cost sharing requirement applied, meaning recipients would need to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources, consistent with DOE cost-share policies for applied energy technology development.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted and open to any type of entity, provided applicants followed the detailed eligibility rules in Section III of the full Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Where would applicants find the detailed eligibility rules?
The FOA indicated that detailed eligibility requirements were contained in Section III of the full Funding Opportunity Announcement.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on February 11, 2015.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was April 13, 2015.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on July 31, 2015.
What CFDA number was associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number associated with this FOA was 81.089, which corresponds to Fossil Energy Research and Development.
Where were the full announcement materials available?
The full announcement materials were available through FedConnect.
Who was the point of contact for access issues and administrative questions?
The point of contact listed was Ashley E. Reichl at NETL. The email provided was Ashley.Reichl@NETL.DOE.GOV.
What kinds of projects was NETL looking to support through this FOA?
NETL was looking for research and development projects that could measurably improve the cost and feasibility of (1) biologically driven methane generation directly in coal seams as a lower-cost alternative pathway to methane supply, and (2) cheaper oxygen production technologies to make oxygen-blown gasification more economically competitive.
Is this opportunity currently open for applications?
No. Based on the dates provided, the FOA deadline was April 13, 2015 and the opportunity was archived on July 31, 2015.
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