Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000796
Apply for DE FOA 0000796
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RFI Carbon, Hydrogen and Separation Efficiencies in Bio Oil Conversion Pathways (CHASE Bio Oil Pathways)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087 Renewable Energy Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 21, 2012 and posted on Nov 21, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 5, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and Office of Biomass Program (OBP), issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Carbon, Hydrogen and Separation Efficiencies in Bio Oil Conversion Pathways (CHASE Bio Oil Pathways)" under funding opportunity number DE-FOA-0000796. This is not a traditional grant solicitation with awards, but an information-gathering request intended to shape DOE program planning. In other words, DOE is asking the biofuels community to provide technical input and perspective, rather than applying for funding through this specific notice.
The RFI focuses on the conversion of biomass into finished transportation fuels in the gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel ranges using thermochemical direct liquefaction pathways. For the purposes of this RFI, those pathways include fast pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis (both in situ and ex situ), hydropyrolysis, and hydrothermal or solvent liquefaction. DOE is also explicitly interested in the downstream steps that typically follow liquefaction, such as bio-oil stabilization and upgrading processes that improve fuel quality and compatibility with conventional fuel infrastructure.
The central goal is to identify and better understand the most significant cross-cutting technical barriers that limit performance, efficiency, and scalability across these pathways. DOE notes that, during a stakeholder workshop on conversion technologies for advanced biofuels, several deficiencies came up repeatedly as common bottlenecks. First, there is a need for selective fractionation and separation systems in bio-oil processing, meaning improved methods to separate complex bio-oil mixtures into useful fractions, remove problematic components, and enable more targeted upgrading with fewer losses and less catalyst deactivation. Second, DOE highlights challenges around hydrogen (H2), specifically improving hydrogen production, utilization, and transfer during biomass liquefaction and bio-oil upgrading. This reflects how many upgrading routes depend on hydrogen for deoxygenation and stability, while hydrogen availability, cost, and integration remain major constraints. Third, DOE calls out the aqueous fraction of bio-oil as a persistent issue and opportunity, seeking technologies that can either use it beneficially or mitigate its impacts. This aqueous phase can carry organics and contaminants that complicate wastewater handling, reduce overall carbon efficiency, and create operational challenges unless better valorization or treatment approaches are developed.
DOE is seeking input on how important these barriers are in practice, what specific technical gaps are most limiting, and what resources would be required to address them. That includes perspectives from industry, academia, and other biofuels stakeholders on research directions, development needs, and potentially the scale and type of effort required (for example, whether progress is mainly limited by fundamental chemistry, reactor and process design, catalyst durability, separations technology, systems integration, or pilot-scale demonstration capabilities). The intent is that responses will help DOE prioritize and design future activities, funding directions, and research programs related to advanced biofuels conversion.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and listed under the energy activity category, with CFDA number 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development). It has no cost sharing or matching requirement because it is an RFI rather than a cost-shared funding award. The eligible applicant category is unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may respond. The posting date is November 21, 2012, with an original and current closing date of December 5, 2012, and an archive date of March 31, 2013. The estimated total funding, award ceiling, and award floor are all listed as zero, reinforcing that this notice is for information collection rather than awarding grants.
The full RFI was made available through the EERE Exchange website, which is the DOE platform for EERE-related funding and related exchanges. Questions about the content and system navigation are directed through information provided on that site. For submission of RFI responses or for access issues, the listed contact is Brenda L. Dias, and responses were to be submitted via email to CHASERFI@go.doe.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this DOE opportunity?
This notice is a Department of Energy (DOE) Request for Information (RFI) titled "Carbon, Hydrogen and Separation Efficiencies in Bio Oil Conversion Pathways (CHASE Bio Oil Pathways)" under funding opportunity number DE-FOA-0000796. It is issued through DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and Office of Biomass Program (OBP).
Is this a grant solicitation with funding awards?
No. This is not a traditional grant solicitation and it does not offer awards. It is an information-gathering request intended to shape DOE program planning, priorities, and future activities.
If there are no awards, why does it have a funding opportunity number?
The RFI is posted and tracked like other DOE/EERE opportunities and therefore includes a funding opportunity number (DE-FOA-0000796), but the estimated total funding, award ceiling, and award floor are all listed as zero because the purpose is collecting technical input rather than making awards.
What is DOE trying to accomplish with this RFI?
DOE is seeking technical input to identify and better understand the most significant cross-cutting technical barriers that limit performance, efficiency, and scalability in thermochemical direct liquefaction pathways for producing finished transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel ranges) from biomass.
Which biomass-to-fuels pathways are covered?
For this RFI, DOE is focusing on thermochemical direct liquefaction pathways, including:
- Fast pyrolysis
- Catalytic pyrolysis (in situ and ex situ)
- Hydropyrolysis
- Hydrothermal or solvent liquefaction
Does DOE care only about liquefaction, or also about downstream processing?
DOE is explicitly interested in downstream steps that typically follow liquefaction, including bio-oil stabilization and upgrading processes that improve fuel quality and compatibility with conventional fuel infrastructure.
What kinds of fuels are in scope?
The RFI targets production of finished transportation fuels in the gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel ranges from biomass via the covered thermochemical direct liquefaction pathways.
What are the main cross-cutting technical barriers DOE highlights?
DOE points to several recurring bottlenecks raised in a stakeholder workshop on conversion technologies for advanced biofuels. The RFI emphasizes:
- Selective fractionation and separation systems in bio-oil processing
- Hydrogen (H2) production, utilization, and transfer challenges during liquefaction and upgrading
- Challenges and opportunities related to the aqueous fraction of bio-oil
What does DOE mean by "selective fractionation and separation systems" for bio-oil?
DOE is looking for improved methods to separate complex bio-oil mixtures into useful fractions, remove problematic components, and enable more targeted upgrading with fewer losses and less catalyst deactivation.
Why is hydrogen (H2) a major focus area in this RFI?
DOE highlights hydrogen because many bio-oil upgrading routes rely on hydrogen for deoxygenation and stability. Hydrogen availability, cost, and integration with liquefaction and upgrading steps are described as major constraints, and DOE is seeking ideas to improve hydrogen production, utilization, and transfer in these processes.
What is the "aqueous fraction of bio-oil," and why does it matter?
DOE calls out the aqueous fraction as a persistent issue and opportunity. This aqueous phase can carry organics and contaminants that complicate wastewater handling, reduce overall carbon efficiency, and create operational challenges unless better approaches are developed to use it beneficially (valorize it) or mitigate its impacts through treatment or process improvements.
What kinds of input is DOE asking for from stakeholders?
DOE is seeking input on:
- How important the highlighted barriers are in real-world practice
- Which specific technical gaps are the most limiting
- What resources would be required to address these gaps
- What types of effort are needed (for example, fundamental chemistry, reactor and process design, catalyst durability, separations technology, systems integration, or pilot-scale demonstration capabilities)
Who is eligible to respond to this RFI?
The eligible applicant category is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may respond. DOE is interested in perspectives from industry, academia, and other biofuels stakeholders.
Is there any cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement because this is an RFI and not a cost-shared funding award.
How is this opportunity categorized administratively?
It is categorized as discretionary and listed under the energy activity category, with CFDA number 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development).
What are the key dates for this RFI?
The posting date is November 21, 2012. The original and current closing date is December 5, 2012. The archive date is March 31, 2013.
Where was the full RFI posted?
The full RFI was made available through the EERE Exchange website, which is DOE's platform for EERE-related funding opportunities and related exchanges.
How were RFI responses supposed to be submitted?
Responses were to be submitted via email to CHASERFI@go.doe.gov.
Who is the listed contact for submission or access issues?
The listed contact is Brenda L. Dias.
Where should people direct questions about the content or navigating the system?
Questions about the content and system navigation are directed through information provided on the EERE Exchange site.
What should responders keep in mind about DOE's intended use of the information?
DOE states that responses will help it prioritize and design future activities, funding directions, and research programs related to advanced biofuels conversion.
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