[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71544-71545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30409]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


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

AGENCY: National Energy Technology Laboratory, 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-PS26-03NT41716 entitled ``Gasification 
Technologies Fundamental Research.'' This solicitation is intended to 
support near-term fundamental gasification technologies research 
projects that are: (1) Fundamental in nature, and (2) Important for the 
commercial success of gasification technologies. It is anticipated that 
the resultant projects will provide fundamental data useful to many 
organizations across the industry to help move gasification 
technologies toward the commercial marketplace. A secondary objective 
is to increase university involvement with the Gasification 
Technologies Program to ensure the inclusion of fresh, innovative ideas 
in the program, and to educate future scientists and engineers in 
gasification technologies.

DATES: The solicitation will be available on the ``Industry Interactive 
Procurement System'' (IIPS) webpage located at http://e-center.doe.gov 
on or about November 27, 2002. Applicants can obtain access to the 
solicitation from the address above or through DOE/NETL's Web site at 
http://www.netl.doe.gov/business.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith L. Carrington, MS I07, U.S. 
Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 3610 
Collins Ferry Road, P.O. Box 880, Morgantown, WV 26507-0880, E-mail 
Address: [email protected], Telephone Number: (304) 285-
4456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: It is anticipated that this action will 
consist of a single solicitation focused on three specific topic areas. 
Last year, the Gasification Technologies Product Team held interviews 
with industry organizations to gain industry's perspective on barriers 
to the commercial success of gasification technologies. This resulted 
in a list of specific research and development areas for product team 
consideration. This solicitation will address some of the near-term 
fundamental research needs described on this industry-generated list, 
chosen and modified by the Gasification Technologies Product Team based 
on additional input from industry and the needs of the DOE Gasification 
Technologies Program. The following two websites contain background 
information on gasification technologies: http://www.netl.doe.gov/coalpower/gasification/ & http://www.gasification.org/resource/library/library.html. The program solicitation will focus on the following 
three topic areas:
    1. Develop technologies to remove the barriers preventing the 
economic use of low ranked (sub-bituminous and lignite) coals. 
Examples: (a) New/improved approaches for increasing the thermal 
stability of dewatered lignite. (b) Process/technology to create a 
higher energy density feed slurry, including understanding the critical 
properties changed by the process in terms of feed systems.
    2. Develop improved materials to increase equipment life or 
reliability in the gasifier and through the process to the syngas 
cooler inlet. The net result of the material improvement must have 
potential to be an economic advantage to the gasification industry. 
Examples: (a) Improve feed system injector materials to increase the 
injector life. (b) Increase the life of gasifier refractory, by 
creating a more robust refractory, through investigation of refractory 
reactivity with gasifier contaminants and techniques to improve 
refractory stability, etc. (c) Metal alloys/fabrication that can 
survive in the gasifier environment long enough to: (1) Assist the 
development of more robust instrumentation (current average lifetime of 
thermocouples is 30-45 days), or (2) Permit metal candle filter use at 
temperatures approaching those in the gasifier (current metal filters 
have an operation limit of about one year at 450 [deg]C).
    3. Develop innovative, less expensive approaches to resolve 
environmental and/or economic concerns with coal gasification fuel gas 
contaminants and combustion flue gas pollutants, including the need for 
ultra clean feed gas for chemical production. Examples: (a) Conduct a 
mercury balance on the gasification process. (b) Create an added value 
technology or study for solid or chemical by products such as the 
concentration of mercury from conventional removal system for sale, 
creation of a process using high purity sulfur to make a more lucrative 
product, etc. (c) More effective/less expensive reduction of pollutants 
and/or trace contaminants in the combustion flue gas. (d) New 
instrumentation/techniques to measure trace metal concentrations in a 
high-temperature, high-pressure, reducing environment.
    It is anticipated that this program solicitation will result in 
between three (3) to six (6) awards. The period of performance for each 
award will range from one to three years with budget periods to be 
established independently based on the logical technical phases of each 
individual project. Based on

[[Page 71545]]

current planning levels, and subject to the availability of future 
funding, DOE expects to provide up to approximately $3,600,000 to 
support work under this solicitation. However, please note that due to 
DOE's current operation under a continuing resolution, funds are not 
presently available for this solicitation. Given the objective of this 
program to increase university involvement in the Gasification 
Technologies Program, a determination was made to limit recipients 
under this program solicitation to U.S. colleges and universities and 
university-affiliated research institutions. Industry collaboration 
will be encouraged under this program, but only through cost-share and 
subcontracting arrangements. Subcontracting opportunities by for-profit 
organizations is limited to no more than 10% of DOE funding provided 
under the cooperative agreement. In addition, Federal agencies and 
agents (i.e. Management and Operating (M&O) contractors and/or National 
Laboratories) are prohibited from proposing as a prime contractor or 
subcontractor under this solicitation. Cost sharing is encouraged, but 
not required, under the subject program solicitation.
    Once released, the solicitation will be available for downloading 
from the IIPS Internet page. At this Internet site you will also be 
able to register with IIPS, enabling you to submit an application. If 
you need technical assistance in registering or for any other IIPS 
function, call the IIPS Help Desk at (800) 683-0751 or E-mail the Help 
Desk personnel at center.doe.gov">IIPS_HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov. The solicitation 
will only be made available in IIPS, no hard (paper) copies of the 
solicitation and related documents will be made available. 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. However, all questions relating to the solicitation 
must be submitted electronically through IIPS. All responses to 
questions, as well as all amendments to the solicitation, will be 
released on the IIPS homepage.

    Issued in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 20, 2002.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 02-30409 Filed 11-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P