DOE Offers $50 Million to Improve Coal Generation

By Editors of Power Engineering

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S Office of Fossil Energy announced a $50 million funding opportunity to design, construct, and operate two large-scale pilots for transformational coal technologies that improve coal-powered systems’ performance, efficiency, emission reduction and electricity cost.

DOE has previously supported a range of potentially transformational coal technologies aimed at enabling step-change improvements in coal-powered systems. Some of these technologies are now ready to proceed to the large-scale pilot stage of development.

Applicants to this new program should have already demonstrated technical success at a small-scale pilot stage, and a 20 percent minimum cost share on total award values is required.

The FOA will involve three phases:

– Phase I, Feasibility, will support efforts to secure team commitments; update the preliminary cost estimate and schedule for design, construction, and operation; secure construction/operation cost-share funding; and complete an environmental information volume.

– Phase II, Design, requires selected projects to complete a front-end engineering design study and complete the National Environmental Policy Act process.

– Phase III, Construction/Operation, will select two final projects to support construction and operation of the large-scale pilot facilities.

More information about this funding opportunity can be found at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=DE-FOA-0001788.