[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 57 (Monday, March 25, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13614-13615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7075]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Enzymatic Hydrolysis Demonstration Plant To Convert Biomass to 
Transportation Fuels and/or Chemicals

AGENCY: Golden Field Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of request for expressions of interest.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE), Golden Field Office (GO), on 
behalf of the Office of Fuels Development (OFD), intends to issue 
solicitations in support of the DOE

[[Page 13615]]

Biofuels Program in the FY 2003--FY 2005 timeframe. The DOE/GO 
anticipates issuing the initial solicitation in early FY 2003 for the 
research and development of a demonstration plant conceptual design, 
process research, and detailed design of an enzymatic hydrolysis 
demonstration plant to convert lignocellulosic biomass to 
transportation fuels (biofuels) and/or chemicals. The purpose of the 
demonstration plant is to provide engineering data to reduce risk, 
enable process guarantees, and assure commercial development of the 
technology. For the initial FY 2003 solicitation, DOE anticipates 
awarding cost-shared cooperative agreements to one or two industry-led 
teams. Subject to the availability of funds, DOE intends to issue a 
subsequent solicitation in FY 2004 for the construction and initial 
operation of the demonstration plant. Expressions of interest in these 
solicitations is requested at this time.

DATES: Please provide expressions of interest and comments by May 1, 
2002, to the DOE Golden Field Office.

ADDRESSES: Submit the expressions of interest to the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Golden Field Office, Andrew R. Trenka, 1617 Cole Boulevard, 
Golden, CO 80401-3393.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew R. Trenka, DOE Golden Field 
Office, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393, via facsimile at 
(303) 275-4753, or electronically at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE is sponsoring the demonstration of an 
enzyme sugar platform. This demonstration project is a concentrated 
effort to use a conversion process based on the low-cost enzymes being 
developed under major DOE cost-shared projects by Genencor 
International and Novozymes Biotech Inc., to convert a large volume of 
biomass into cost-effective alternative transportation fuels and/or 
chemicals. The initial commercialization of the platform technologies 
may use biomass wastes and residues. The demonstration plant will 
provide engineering data to reduce risk, enable process guarantees and 
assure commercial development of the technology. Each firm, 
partnership, or consortia may, at its option, utilize, via a 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), the DOE 
laboratories active in the DOE Biofuels research program, i.e. National 
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
(ORNL), etc. These laboratories could contribute specialized 
capabilities, facilities, or equipment to the project that would 
complement the partnership's capabilities. The winning team or teams 
will be expected to carry out multi-year technology development and 
demonstration efforts, including the construction and operation of the 
platform demonstration plant at a scale sufficient to prove the 
technical and economic feasibility of feedstock handling, biomass 
fractionation, enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis, and product 
fermentation(s) to products. Initial discussions suggest this scale may 
need to be 40-50 tons per day of input biomass feedstock (dry basis), 
with corn stover identified as the most plentiful agricultural residue 
feedstock. The scale of the plant, the feedstock, and the slate of end 
products will be open to the results of the initial conceptual design 
and technology research. However, the final products must be based on 
sugar fermentation and whatever feedstock is chosen should have the 
potential to lead to significant reductions of imported petroleum, 
e.g., several billion gallons per year.
    DOE expects the industrial partners' cost-share contribution to the 
initial solicitation to be at least 50% of the initial costs; however, 
if lower, the rational should be fully explained. Higher cost-shares 
will be encouraged. DOE intends to share the cost of the FY 2004 and FY 
2005 demonstration plant construction efforts, with the industrial 
partners' contribution being at least 50% of the construction and 
operating costs (statutory requirement). DOE intends that its partners 
will have demonstrated experience in the design, construction, and 
operation of transportation fuels, chemicals, and/or biomass processing 
facilities, in addition to demonstrated access to financial markets to 
facilitate eventual commercialization of these technologies. Interested 
parties should include the following in their expressions of interest:
    (1) Experience;
    (2) Types of partner organizations (private, public, non-profit) 
with which they contemplate teaming (including anticipated DOE 
laboratory involvement);
    (3) Any plans to co-locate the demonstration plant with an existing 
facility;
    (4) The types of financial resources they would use to fund their 
cost-share of the design, process research, construction, and operation 
phases of the project;
    (5) How they will integrate the ongoing research being undertaken 
by Genencor International and/or Novozymes Biotech, Inc., to produce 
low-cost cellulases;
    (6) The approach to be followed for the planned solicitations;
    (7) The approximate budget required to design, construct, and 
initially operate the demonstration plant;
    (8) The approximate size and cost of the demonstration plant to 
prove the commercial viability of the conversion processes; and
    (9) Any additional information or comments to assist in drafting 
the solicitation.
    DOE held a preview technology review in Golden, Colorado, on 
January 30-31, 2002, and is scheduling a second pre-solicitation 
meeting in Golden, Colorado in May 2002 (specific date to be 
determined), for all interested parties to discuss the planned 
solicitation(s), DOE contracting procedures, intellectual property, the 
use of government-owned facilities, cost-sharing principles, and other 
issues.
    Information about the platform project, DOE's cost-shared enzyme 
cost reduction activities, current NREL enzymatic hydrolysis research 
efforts and technology assessment, the DOE Biofuels program, and the 
pre-solicitation meeting can be found at the following URL: http://www.ott.doe.gov/biofuels/enzyme_sugar_platform.html.

    Issued in Golden, Colorado, on February 14, 2002.
Matthew A. Barron,
Contracting Officer, Office of Acquisition and Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 02-7075 Filed 3-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P