[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 235 (Friday, December 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72650-72652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30916]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


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

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

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-PS26-03NT41719 entitled ``Innovative 
Water Management Technologies and Concepts for Coal-Fired Electric 
Utility Boilers'' to solicit applications for cost-shared research 
projects directed at innovative water management technologies and 
concepts for coal-fired electric utility boilers. Specifically, the 
solicitation will provide for the development of cost-effective 
solutions to emerging regulations and restrictions on water use and 
impacts on water quality associated with the generation of electricity 
by coal-fired power plants. Applications will be solicited in four (4) 
technical areas of interest: (1) Non-Traditional Sources of Process and 
Cooling Water; (2) Innovative Cooling Technology; (3) Advanced Cooling 
Water Intake Technology; and (4) Advanced Pollutant Measurement and 
Treatment Technology. Applications are being sought for applied 
research at the bench-scale to field-scale level for time periods of 
one (1) to three (3) years.
    The solicitation supports the overall goal of the Department of 
Energy/Office of Fossil Energy's Innovations for Existing Plants (IEP) 
Program to develop advanced technology and knowledge products that 
enhance the environmental performance of the existing fleet of coal-
fired power plants. The solicitation is part of the path forward of the 
Energy-Water Management component of the IEP roadmap (http://www.netl.doe.gov/coalpower/environment). The goal of this research is 
to reduce water consumption per kWh of electricity produced by 25% by 
2010, and reduce

[[Page 72651]]

impacts of electricity production on water quality.

DATES: The solicitation will be available on the ``Industry Interactive 
Procurement System'' (IIPS) webpage located at http://e-center.doe.gov 
on or about December 13, 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: Donna J. Jaskolka, MS 921-107, U.S. 
Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 
10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940, E-mail Address: 
[email protected], Telephone Number: (412) 386-6016.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electric utility boilers are the second 
largest user of water in the United States, ranking only slightly 
behind irrigation in terms of total annual water use (USGS, Circular 
1200, 1998). The majority of the water used by power plants is for 
cooling. The steam cycle requires a large amount of water to condense 
the low-pressure steam from the turbine. Recent regulations proposed 
under section 316(b) (http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/316b/) of the 
Clean Water Act (http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cwa.htm) to protect 
against the impingement and entrainment of aquatic organisms in cooling 
systems could restrict the amount of water that power plants can 
withdraw for cooling and/or require the installation of new intake 
structure technology. Retrofitting from once-through cooling systems to 
recirculating cooling towers can negatively impact plant efficiency due 
to increased turbine back pressure. Power plant operations can also be 
disrupted due to the colonization of Zebra mussels and other types of 
bio-fouling on cooling water intake grates and screens.
    Water quality issues will also continue to receive attention in 
terms of coal power systems. Coal utilization byproducts (CUBs) such as 
scrubber solids and fly ash must be managed properly in order that all 
current and future surface and groundwater regulations are met. 
Concerns about the fate of mercury, arsenic, and other trace metals in 
CUB leachates could negatively impact the commercial use and disposal 
of these materials. More stringent control of air emissions under the 
Clean Air Act could result in cross-media transfer of pollutants from 
air to water. For example, pending mercury regulations could bring 
about the need for additional monitoring, processing, and treatment of 
scrubber liquors and other aqueous streams associated with air 
pollution control equipment. In addition, coal pile runoff and other 
plant-wide discharges may come under further scrutiny in response to 
future Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
    DOE-NETL held a workshop in July 2002 with key stakeholders from 
industry, government agencies, regional and state regulators, research 
organizations, and academia to obtain input on the need for a private-
partner research effort to address these emerging issues. A summary of 
the workshop proceedings can be found at http://www.netl.doe.gov/coalpower/environment. The workshop participants identified a number of 
near-, mid-, and long-term research opportunities directed at reducing 
the impact of coal power generation on water availability and quality. 
In response, DOE-NETL is issuing a solicitation focused on four areas 
of interest related to coal-based electric utilities and water. Details 
concerning the solicitation are described below. This solicitation will 
serve to help ensure the continued availability of low-cost electricity 
from coal while meeting growing demands for clean water.
    The objective of this solicitation is to solicit applications for 
cost-shared research projects directed at innovative water management 
technologies and concepts for coal-fired electric utility boilers. 
Specifically, the solicitation will provide for the development of 
cost-effective solutions to emerging regulations and restrictions on 
water use and impacts on water quality associated with the generation 
of electricity by coal-fired power plants. All applicants should 
clearly describe how the technology, if successfully developed and 
applied, would impact the cost of operating a coal-fired power plant in 
terms of impacts on COE (cost of electricity) relative to existing 
technology. The applicant should also provide a projection of the 
market penetration of the proposed technology or concept in terms of 
both existing and new coal-fired electric utility boilers. Applications 
will be solicited to address four technical topic areas:

(1) Non-Traditional Sources of Process and Cooling Water

    Applications are being sought to evaluate and develop cost-
effective approaches to using non-traditional (i.e., not from 
freshwater or saline surface water supply) sources of water for cooling 
and other power plant needs. Examples include surface and underground 
mine pool water, coal-bed methane produced water, and industrial and/or 
municipal wastewater. The technical, cost and permitting issues 
associated with collecting, treating, transporting, storing, and 
discharging/disposing of these non-traditional waters should be 
considered.

(2) Innovative Cooling Technology

    Applications are being sought to improve both wet and dry 
recirculating cooling tower systems. Innovative methods of plume 
abatement are desired to reduce water loss and minimize visual impacts 
from cooling towers. Improvements in the energy penalty associated with 
wet and dry cooling versus once-through cooling are also sought. 
Research to reduce the higher capital and operating costs associated 
with dry cooling versus wet cooling and the development of hybrid wet-
dry systems that optimize the advantages of wet and dry cooling towers 
is also sought.

(3) Advanced Cooling Water Intake Technology

    Future regulations to protect aquatic organisms under Section 
316(b) of the Clean Water Act may impact the operation of cooling water 
intake structures on new and existing power plants. Applications are 
sought to meet performance standards for intake structures that would 
be required by section 316(b) regulation. Specifically, advanced intake 
structure technologies such as intake screen systems, passive intake 
systems, diversion or avoidance systems, and fish handling systems are 
sought. Innovative methods to control bio-fouling of intake structures, 
which will be more of a problem with the lower intake water velocities 
required to reduce fish impingement are also sought.

(4) Advanced Pollutant Measurement and Treatment Technology

    Future controls on the emission of mercury and possibly other 
hazardous air pollutants (e.g. selenium, arsenic) have raised concerns 
about the ultimate fate of these contaminants once they are removed 
from the flue gas. Preventing these air pollutants from being 
transferred to surface or ground waters will be critical. Applications 
are sought for advanced technologies to detect, measure, and remove 
mercury, arsenic, selenium and other pollutants from the aqueous 
streams of coal-based power plants such as blowdown water, wet scrubber 
effluents, and ash pond waters. Advanced technologies are also sought 
for removal of chemicals used in treatment of cooling water.
    It is anticipated that there will be five to seven (5-7) Financial 
Assistance (Cooperative Agreement) awards with

[[Page 72652]]

performance periods ranging from 12 to 36 months. The total estimated 
award value for all projects selected under this solicitation is 
approximately $4.8 million; this amount includes the mandatory minimum 
recipient cost share of 20%.
    Eligibility for participation in the Program Solicitation is 
considered to be full and open. All interested parties may apply, 
except as noted herein. 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 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-PS26-03NT41719

    (Note: The limit on participation by an M&O contractor for an 
individual project under this solicitation cannot exceed 25% of the 
total project cost.).

    Once released, the solicitation will be available for downloading 
from the IIPS webpage (http://e-center.doe.gov). 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.
    Prospective applicants who would like to be notified as soon as the 
solicitation is available should subscribe to the Business Alert 
Mailing List at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business. Once you subscribe, 
you will receive an announcement by E-mail that the solicitation has 
been released to the public. 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 November 20, 2002.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 02-30916 Filed 12-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P