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REFUEL FOA (DE-FOA-0001562) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the REFUEL FOA (DE-FOA-0001562)?

REFUEL (DE-FOA-0001562) is a 2016 funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). It is designed to support early-stage, high-risk applied research and development projects that are not yet ready for private investment but could be market-disruptive if successful.

2) What does REFUEL stand for?

REFUEL stands for Renewable Energy to Fuels Through Utilization of Energy-Dense Liquids.

3) What is the central goal of the REFUEL program?

The central goal is to develop scalable pathways that convert renewable electricity or renewable thermal energy into chemical energy stored in energy-dense, carbon-neutral liquid fuels (CNLFs), and to enable practical conversion of those liquids at the point of use into energy carriers such as hydrogen or electricity.

4) Why is ARPA-E interested in this topic?

The program is motivated by real-world challenges: large-scale storage and transport of intermittent renewable energy (such as wind and solar) remains difficult, while many transportation and distributed power applications still need high-energy-density fuels. REFUEL aims to bridge these gaps by turning renewable energy into liquids that are easier to store long-term and move using existing liquid-fuel infrastructure.

5) What kinds of technologies does REFUEL want to advance?

REFUEL focuses on two linked technology areas:

• Synthesis: producing carbon-neutral liquid fuels using intermittent renewable energy and using water and air as the only chemical inputs, specifically involving water plus atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
• Utilization: converting the delivered liquids at the endpoint into practical energy outputs, especially hydrogen (for fuel cells) or electricity (via appropriate conversion devices).

6) What does "carbon-neutral liquid fuels (CNLFs)" mean in this FOA context?

In the context provided, CNLFs are energy-dense liquids produced using renewable electricity or renewable thermal energy and using water and air-derived inputs (including CO2 and N2). The intent is that these liquids enable energy services with reduced transportation-sector emissions by relying on renewable energy and carbon sourcing aligned with the "air and water" constraint.

7) What are the required chemical inputs for the synthesis pathways under REFUEL?

The FOA frames synthesis around using water and air as the only chemical inputs, specifically drawing on water plus atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2).

8) Is REFUEL only about making the liquid fuel, or also about using it?

It is about both. REFUEL explicitly includes the synthesis of the liquid fuel and the utilization side (how the liquid is converted at the point of use into hydrogen or electricity).

9) What problem does REFUEL try to solve for renewable energy integration?

REFUEL targets the mismatch between intermittent renewable generation and the need for dependable, storable energy. By converting intermittent renewable electricity or heat into storable, transportable liquids, the approach can support higher penetration of renewables by providing a storage and distribution pathway that can leverage existing liquid fuel logistics.

10) Why focus on liquid fuels specifically?

Liquid fuels are comparatively easier and cheaper to store over long periods and can often be moved using established liquid-fuel infrastructure. REFUEL's vision is to use that existing infrastructure to make renewable energy more storable, transportable, and usable across transportation and distributed power use cases.

11) What type of research does ARPA-E want under this FOA: basic research or applied R&D?

This FOA emphasizes applied research and development, not basic research.

12) How does ARPA-E distinguish REFUEL projects from more incremental work?

The FOA targets projects that could create fundamentally new cost and performance "learning curves" rather than incremental improvements along well-established roadmaps.

13) What kinds of projects might be considered out of scope based on the description?

Based on the boundaries described, projects that are primarily basic science would likely be more appropriate for DOE's Office of Science. Projects that simply improve existing platforms along established roadmaps might align better with other DOE applied offices (for example EERE, Fossil Energy, Nuclear Energy, or OE) rather than ARPA-E REFUEL.

14) What is ARPA-E's broader mission and how does REFUEL fit into it?

ARPA-E was created under the America COMPETES Act to strengthen U.S. economic and energy security by reducing reliance on foreign energy imports, cutting energy-related emissions (including greenhouse gases), improving energy efficiency across the economy, and maintaining U.S. technological leadership in advanced energy. REFUEL supports this mission by aiming to reduce transportation-sector emissions and import dependence while enabling broader renewable energy use.

15) What is the funding mechanism for awards under this FOA?

Awards are issued as cooperative agreements.

16) What regulations apply to awards made under the FOA?

Awards are subject to federal assistance regulations under 2 CFR Part 200 (as amended) and 2 CFR Part 910.

17) What is the anticipated number of awards?

ARPA-E anticipated making roughly 15 awards.

18) What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount per project?

The award ceiling is $10,000,000 per project.

19) What is the eligibility for this opportunity?

The opportunity is described as having unrestricted eligibility (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility language that may appear in the full FOA.

20) What type of funding opportunity is this listed as?

It is listed as discretionary funding.

21) When was the FOA posted and when did it close?

The FOA was posted on April 26, 2016, and the closing date for submissions was May 25, 2016.

22) How were submissions required to be submitted?

Submissions were required to go through ARPA-E's eXCHANGE system.

23) Will ARPA-E review concept papers submitted outside of eXCHANGE?

No. ARPA-E indicated it would not review concept papers submitted through other channels and directed applicants to use the eXCHANGE user guide for submission mechanics.

24) What would a "strong" REFUEL-style project generally look like?

A strong project would typically pair an aggressive technical target with a credible scaling path and a believable argument for disruption. That means going beyond a laboratory-only demonstration and presenting a plausible route to competitive costs, manufacturable components, and deployment at meaningful scale.

25) What are the intended end uses for the energy stored in these carbon-neutral liquids?

The FOA highlights endpoint conversion into usable energy carriers such as hydrogen (notably for fuel cells) or electricity (through appropriate conversion devices), supporting transportation and distributed generation use cases.