FETC PROGRAM SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT

DE-PS26-00FT40759

"DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES AND CAPABILITIES FOR FOSSIL ENERGY-WIDE COAL, NATURAL GAS, AND OIL R&D PROGRAMS"

The Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) has issued a "mega" solicitation for program areas for fiscal year 2000. Read the full solicitation (436k).

Here is a synopsis of the solicitation.

Through this solicitation, FETC and NPTO expects to support applications in the following fourteen (14) separate (i.e., stand alone) Areas of Interest:

1) Gasification Technologies,

2) Transportation Fuels and Chemicals,

3) Combustion Systems,

4) Environmental Innovations for Existing Plants,

5) Advanced Fuels Research and Speciality Markets,

6) Advanced Research,

7) Advanced Turbines and Engines (common to both coal and natural gas),

8) Fuel Cells

9) Natural Gas Supply and Infrastructure,

10) Gas-to-Liquids (Natural Gas Processing),

11) Oil Technology -- Critical Upstream Advanced Diagnostics & Imaging Technology,

12) Oil Technology -- Reservoir Efficiency Processes,

13) Oil Technology -- Drilling & Operations Technology Development and Demonstration,

14) Oil and Gas -- Effective Environmental Protection.

This solicitation includes two (2) separate closing dates and will be open to receive qualifying proposals through May 22, 2000. Proposals will be evaluated and selections made approximately two months after the closing date of each of the three submission periods within FY 2000. The proposal due date for the first submission period is February 28, 2000 and the second submission period May 22, 2000. Proposals submitted under a specific submission period will be evaluated only for that specific period.

Periods of performance for all projects are up to three years. A minimum cost share of 20% of the total project value is required (50% for any Field Demonstration project in Area of Interest #13).

Subject to the availability of funds in the technical areas proposed, DOE expects to provide $13-33 million over the three years FY00, FY01, and FY02 for awards under this solicitation.

Research Topics, Estimated Value, and Estimated Number of Awards

1) Gasification Technologies--advanced gasification, by-product utilization, environmental monitoring, $100k to $500k, 1 to 3 awards

2) Transportation Fuels and Chemicals-- reactor/process development, process evaluation, product upgrading/testing, $100k to $200k, 1 to 2 awards

3) Combustion Systems fuel flexibility, advanced filtration, turbo machinery issues, general improvements/cost reduction, $100k to $750k, 1 to 4 awards

4) Environmental Innovations for Existing Plants--combustion byproduct utilization, characterization of ambient fine particulate matter (PM) $500k to $1 mil, 2 to 6 awards

5) Advanced Fuels Research and Specialty Markets--studying production of fuels/chemicals directly from coal, studying production of high-value carbon materials from coal, investigating biomimetic catalysts for production of oxygenates from syngas, new hydrogen generation schemes, $100k to $500k, 1 to 5 awards

6) Advanced Research advanced sensors/controls, virtual demonstrations, supporting technologies, bioprocessing, advanced materials, $100k to $500k, 1 to 6 awards

7) Advanced Turbines and Engines Next Generation Gas Turbines- supporting R&D Advanced Engine Systems-system development, novel engine concepts, supporting R&D, $500k to $3 mil, 1 to 5 awards

8) Fuel Cells system identification, identification of barriers, solutions to barrier issues, $100k to $200k, 1 to 2 awards

9) Natural Gas Supply and Infrastructure--exploration & production/ Drilling, Completion, & Stimulation $3.0 mil up to 4 awards; Gas hydrates research, $1.4 mil, up to 4 awards; Engineering/market analysis infrastructure/gas storage, $300k, up to 2 awards

10) Gas-to-Liquids (Natural Gas Processing)--Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process components/integration, product tailoring, $500k, 1 to 3 awards

11) Oil Technology -- Critical Upstream Advanced Diagnostics & Imaging Technology--Development of technologies and methodologies for use in geoscientific measurement, reservoir description and naturally fractured reservoirs, up to $6 mil, 8 to 12 awards

12) Oil Technology -- Reservoir Efficiency Processes--Reservoir Efficiency Processes, Production Research, seeks research in developing recovery methods which are directed at producing petroleum that is not recoverable by conventional methods. Up to $10 mil, Up to 10 awards

13) Oil Technology -- Drilling and Operation Technology Development and Demonstrations-- Efficient completion and stimulation technologies for oil reservoirs, innovative onshore and offshore operations technologies, field demonstrations of such technologies, Up to $1.8 mil, Up to 3 awards

14) Oil and Gas Effective Environmental Protection Air emissions, waste handling and disposal, remediation, regulatory streamlining, and issues affecting access to public lands, for oil and gas exploration and production operations; Heavy oil process development. Up to $4.05 mil, 5 to 15 awards