[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15701-15702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6826]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


National Energy Technology Laboratory; Notice of Availability of 
Financial Assistance Solicitation

AGENCY: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of availability of a financial assistance solicitation.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intent to issue Financial 
Assistance Solicitation No. DE-PS26-01NT41130 entitled ``Biomass 
Research and Development: Advance Biomass Power Generation 
Technologies''. The Office of Biopower and Hydropower Technologies of 
the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy (EERE) is supporting the issuance of this 
solicitation.
    Pursuant to guidance contained in the Biomass Research and 
Development Act of 2000, this Solicitation will support the development 
of advanced biomass power systems offering to diversify the range of 
products that can be efficiently and cost-competitively produced from 
biomass by encouraging the co-production of power and heat as an 
integrated component of biomass processing. These systems are to be 
predominantly based on advanced biomass gasification technologies and 
may incorporate related research in advanced turbine and stationary 
fuel cell technology for production of electricity from biomass.
    The DOE recognizes that technologies which efficiently convert 
biomass into bio-based industrial products such as heat and power offer 
outstanding potential benefit to the national interest through: (A) 
Improved strategic security and balance of payments; (B) promotion of 
rural economic development; (C) improved environmental quality; (D) 
near-zero net greenhouse gas emissions; (E) technology export; and (F) 
diversification of energy resource options. However, key technical 
challenges remain to be overcome in order for biomass conversion 
technologies to be cost-competitive. Among these are developing new 
integrated processes that show promise for reducing cost and increasing 
efficiency.
    The relatively lengthy time and risks associated with the 
development and integration of new biomass power systems, based on 
advanced gasification technologies may make it difficult for the 
private sector to justify the sustained investment necessary. However 
the National benefits of such systems are driving the DOE's effort to 
support pre-commercial R&D directed towards Advanced Biomass Power 
Systems development.
    Since DOE does not intend to issue a draft of the subject 
solicitation, prospective applicants are invited to e-mail any comments 
and/or questions associated with the ``need'' area(s) identified in 
this announcement. Please submit all comments/questions to Ms. Donna 
Jaskolka via the Internet at [email protected] by COB March 21, 
2001.

DATES: The solicitation will be available on the DOE/NETL's Internet 
address at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business on or about March 30, 2001. 
It is anticipated that the closing date for receipt of proposals will 
be on or about May 31, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna J. Jaskolka, U.S. Department of 
Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 109540, MS 921-
107, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940,
    E-mail Address: [email protected]
    Telephone Number: 412/386-6106
    Facsimile Number: 412/386-6137.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A primary objective of the Office of 
Biopower and Hydropower Technologies is to support pre-commercial 
research that develops technologies for the production of power, heat 
and other valuable by-products from biomass. The specific objective of 
Program Solicitation DE-PS26-01NT41130 is to support new approaches to 
improve gasification-based technologies for power, heat and co-
production. The ultimate intent of the DOE is for the development team 
to package the advanced power generation systems developed under this 
solicitation for high volume regional and/or National commercial sales. 
Program emphasis is on the development of advanced power generation 
systems that can meet the following program objectives:
    Load: Baseload power generation with a nominal annual capacity 
factor of 85%.
    Size: It is not the intention of DOE to be prescriptive in this 
area. While studies seem to suggest that a nominal size of 20MW may be 
well suited to match local biomass resource availability, upper limits 
on plant size are flexible. A lower limit of 5MW is set to preclude 
programmatic duplication.
    Costs of Power: The proposer must demonstrate that the cost of 
power is competitive in individual circumstances.
    Efficiency: For plants under 100MW, a total power production 
efficiency of at

[[Page 15702]]

least 35% with the clear potential to evolve to 45%. Co-production 
facilities must have the capability of attaining 60% thermal 
efficiency. Plants larger than 100MW must be capable of achieving 45% 
efficiency.
    Airborne Emissions: Emissions shall not be greater than one-half 
the amount allowed by current New Source Performance Standards for 
coal-fired electric power generating stations, or local regulations 
where system deployment is being considered.
    Solid Wastes: All solid wastes must be benign with regard to 
disposal. Preference will be given to concepts in which solid waste 
generation is minimized through the production of usable by-products.
    Acceptable Fuels: The ultimate goal is the development of advanced 
power generation systems in which biomass is the predominant fuel (> 95 
percent of heat input). Initial commercial systems capable of utilizing 
biomass as the primary fuel (> 65 percent of heat input) are 
acceptable, so long as such initial systems are capable of evolving to 
configurations in which biomass would be the predominant fuel. However, 
preference will be given to initial systems in which biomass provides 
greater than the minimum acceptable level of heat input, provided that 
the proposers can demonstrate that there is no substantial increase in 
technical risk. Blending of gasification products with other gaseous 
fuels (e.g. natural gas, propane, etc.) in order to enhance the 
system's reliability and cost performance may be considered.
    Biomass Fuel Flexibility: Given the tremendous variation in the 
compositional characteristics across the many biomass families (e.g., 
woods, herbaceous crops, manures, etc.), it is recognized that a single 
power system may not be appropriate to utilize all biomass. 
Accordingly, the R&D proposed and performed as a result of this 
solicitation may address a specific but significant subset of available 
biomass.
    Performance Attributes: Preference will be given to concepts that 
allow load-following with minimal degradation of efficiency, and that 
are amenable to construction using factory assembled modular components 
based upon standard designs.

    Note: Biomass refers to plant materials and/or animal waste used 
as a source of fuel. Animal Waste refers to the manure produced and 
any associated bedding material mixed within the manure and excludes 
animal processing waste. Unsegregated Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), 
hazardous waste, and medical waste will not be considered to be 
biomass. Segregated MSW is an acceptable fuel for this solicitation 
and would include non-recyclable paper and non-treated wood waste. 
There is no interest in receiving applications for aerobic or 
anaerobic digesters, landfill gas, or animal gas production.

    It is not the intent of this solicitation to accelerate R&D on 
advanced power generation systems that are already being developed 
within this or other DOE power systems R&D programs. However the use of 
other advanced power systems components being developed by DOE's 
Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE), and Fossil 
Energy (FE) (e.g., turbines, fuel cells, gas cleaning, membranes, 
catalysts, etc.) as part of the overall process is allowable and 
encouraged if consistent with the objectives of the solicitation. 
Collaboration with other EE or FE participants is encouraged to 
maximize project effectiveness. Multi-disciplinary teams consisting of 
partners having significant expertise related to biomass supply issues 
and resource utilization, technology developers, and equipment 
manufacturers, energy service companies or A&E firms servicing the 
power industry, or power markets, and power generating companies are 
strongly encouraged to propose. Applications submitted by or on behalf 
of (1) another Federal agency; (2) a Federally Funded Research and 
Development Center sponsored by another Federal agency; or (3) a 
Department of Energy (DOE) Management and Operating (M&O) contractor 
will not be eligible for award under this solicitation. However, an 
application that includes performance of a portion of the work by a DOE 
M&O contractor will be evaluated and may be considered for award 
subject to the provisions to be set forth in Program Solicitation DE-
PS26-01NT41130 (NOTE: The limit on participation by an M&O contractor 
for an individual project under this solicitation cannot exceed 20% of 
the total project cost).
    Applicants that are seeking financial assistance under this 
solicitation are subject to the eligibility requirements of Section 
2306 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct); further guidance will be 
included in the Program Solicitation. DOE anticipates issuing financial 
assistance (cooperative agreement) awards with a project performance 
period of up to six (6) months. Projects resulting from this 
Announcement are considered research and development projects.
    Approximately $1,000,000 of DOE funding is planned for this 
solicitation. DOE has determined that a minimum cost share of twenty 
percent (20%) of the total estimated project cost is required; details 
of the cost sharing requirement and the specific funding levels will be 
contained in the program solicitation.
    Prospective applicants should routinely access the NETL Electronic 
Business Center at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business/solicit/index.html. 
Please note that the ``Business Alert Registration/Notification'' is 
not currently functional, and cannot be relied upon for electronic 
notification of availability of the solicitation. Telephone requests, 
written requests, e-mail requests or facsimile requests for a copy of 
the solicitation package will not be accepted and/or honored. 
Applications must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the 
instructions and forms contained in the solicitation. The actual 
solicitation document will allow for requests for explanation and/or 
interpretation.

    Issued in Pittsburgh, PA on March 12, 2001.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Deputy Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 01-6826 Filed 3-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P