[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 46 (Monday, March 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11387-11388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5588]


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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-PS26-03NT41739-0 entitled ``EE-IT Mining 
Industry of the Future: Exploration and Mining Technology''. The U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) is 
soliciting applications for cost-shared research and development of 
technologies which will reduce energy consumption, enhance economic 
competitiveness and reduce environmental impacts of the domestic mining 
industry. An efficient and productive mining industry requires constant 
progress in the processes and technologies used in exploration and 
mining. While the mining industry uses many of the latest technologies 
to locate and mine materials, further process and technological 
advances are needed to enable enhanced and more efficient resource 
identification, characterization and production. The objective of the 
targeted solicitation is to support the stated national interests by 
funding research and development projects that address key industry-
identified technology needs described in the Exploration and Mining 
Technology (EMT) Roadmap (Sept. 2002) (http://www.oit.doe.gov/mining/pdfs/emroadmap.pdf), and the Energy Analysis (http://www.oit.doe.gov/mining/pdfs/energyanalysis.pdf). Applications are being solicited in 
four (4) interest areas: (1) Exploration and Mine Planning (DE-PS26-
03NT41739-1); (2) Underground Mining (DE-PS26-03NT41739-2); (3) Surface 
Mining (DE-PS26-03NT41739-3); and (4) Energy Intensive Processes (DE-
PS26-03NT41739-4). Applications are sought for applied research at the 
bench-scale to field-scale level, for time periods of up to five (5) 
years.

DATES: The solicitation will be available on the ``Industry Interactive 
Procurement System'' (IIPS) Web page located at http://e-center.doe.gov 
on or about February 26, 2003, with a proposal due date of May 21, 
2003, 8 p.m. Eastern Time. 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, PO Box 
10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940, E-mail address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The U.S. Congress looks to the Department of Energy (DOE) to work 
toward improving the energy efficiency of America's most energy-
intensive industries with special interest in industrial processing. 
DOE, through it's Industrial Technologies Program (IT) supports 
industries in their efforts to increase energy efficiency, reduce waste 
and increase productivity. The goal of the IT Program is to accelerate 
the development and use of advanced, energy efficient, renewable and 
pollution prevention technologies that benefit industry, the 
environment and the U.S. energy security. At IT's core, is the 
Industries of the Future program that focuses on basic materials and 
processing industries, of which the Mining Industry is one such 
business sector.
    The objective of the targeted solicitation is to support the stated 
national interests by funding research and development (R&D) projects 
that address technology needs described in the Exploration and Mining 
Technology (EMT) Roadmap (Sept. 2002) (http://www.oit.doe.gov/mining/pdfs/emroadmap.pdf), and Energy Analysis (http://www.oit.doe.gov/mining/pdfs/energyanalysis.pdf). The Roadmap focuses on process and 
technological advances that will improve the exploration for, and 
extraction of, ore from the earth. The Energy Analysis is a 2-page 
presentation showing the results of a study to demonstrate where the 
largest energy saving opportunities are in Mining.
    As stated above, the key industry-identified research areas as 
presented in the Roadmap and Analysis form the bases of this 
solicitation and are characterized in four interest areas as follows:
    (1) Exploration and Mining Planning (DE-PS26-03NT41739-1). 
Exploration includes locating economic deposits and establishing their 
nature, shape and grade. Activities involved in exploration include 
geological surveys, geophysical prospecting (both ground and aerial), 
boreholes and trail pits, surface/underground headings, drifts or 
tunnels. Mining, as used here, is the extraction or removal of ore from 
surface or underground mines. This involves excavating activities such 
as digging, blasting, breaking, loading and hauling. Interests include 
prospecting, sampling and exploratory drilling such as rotary and 
percussive drilling, and other work involved in searching for ore.
    (2) Underground Mining (DE-PS26-03NT41739-2). Mining that takes 
place underground. This type of mining is generally done where the 
valuable mineral is located deep enough where it is not economically 
viable to be removed by surface mining. Interests include near face 
(such as intelligent or remote controlled robotics); ancillary 
(activities not directly involved in ore mining such as ventilation and 
improved health conditions) and maintenance services and technical 
services are also of interest.
    (3) Surface Mining (DE-PS26-03NT41739-3). Mining at or near the 
surface. This type of mining is generally done where the overburden can 
be removed without too much expense. Also called strip mining; placer 
mining; opencast; opencut mining; and/or open pit mining. Interests 
include solution mining; materials handling systems integration and 
automation/robotics for

[[Page 11388]]

all mining at or near the surface where overburden can be economically 
removed.
    (4) Energy Intensive Processes (DE-PS26-03NT41739-4). Materials 
handling, comminution, and pumping systems are highlighted as areas of 
special interest as they are considered to offer the potential for 
substantial energy savings in industry-wide application. The 
definitions used for the different areas are as follows: (a) Materials 
handling--any equipment or process used to transport ore and waste; and 
(b) extraction--any equipment or process used to search for and mine 
ore and waste.
    Applications submitted in response to these four interest areas 
will only be funded if the proposed research and development addresses 
improving the energy efficiency of the mineral industry in the areas 
directly related to exploration and mining. Applications for literature 
reviews only will not be considered. Additionally, applications 
offering emissions or waste disposal, remediation, or treatment as a 
primary focus are not eligible for funding under this solicitation. 
This limitation does not include applications that target materials 
recycling or by-product utilization as their primary focus.
    This solicitation marks a transition in the EE-OIT Mining Program 
to emphasizing fewer, but larger, projects that can be expected to have 
impact industry-wide and offer maximum energy savings potential. Awards 
will be cost-shared, financial assistance cooperative agreements, with 
a mandatory requirement that the recipient provide a minimum cost share 
of fifty percent (50%) of the total project cost. It is anticipated 
that six to eight (6-8) projects will be selected for negotiation of an 
award. It is generally contemplated that DOE will cost-share between 
$1.5 to $2 million per award, or an amount not to exceed 50% of the 
total estimated cost of the effort. Approximately two million dollars 
($2,000,000) in federal funds are expected to be available to fund the 
first twelve (12) months of performance for projects selected from this 
solicitation. Subject to the availability of funds, approximately $6 to 
$10 million is planned to fund the remaining years of the projects.
    Any nonprofit or for-profit organization, university or other 
institution of higher education, or non-federal agency or entity is 
eligible to apply in response to the four interest areas encompassed by 
Program Solicitation DE-PS26-03NT41739-0. Applications including 
performance of a portion of the work by: (1) A Department of Energy 
(DOE) Management and Operating (M&O) contractor, (2) a Federally Funded 
Research and Development Center (FFRDC) funded by another Federal 
agency, or (3) another Federal agency are eligible for consideration, 
subject to the provisions to be set forth in Program Solicitation DE-
PS26-03NT41739-0. (Applicants take note that the combined limit on 
participation by an M&O contractor, FFRDC or other Federal Agency for 
an individual project under this solicitation is a maximum of 20% of 
the total project cost.)
    Additional eligibility requirements for applicants seeking 
financial assistance through this solicitation are the ability to: (1) 
Comply with the mandatory fifty percent (50%) cost share requirement; 
(2) satisfy the eligibility requirements of Section 2306 (Foreign 
Involvement) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct); and (3) 
formulate a multi-partner team that includes the involvement, at a 
minimum, of either (a) two (2) ``mining companies'' (a ``mining 
company'' is defined as a firm actively engaged in the extraction and/
or processing of rock or mineral resources for the purpose of producing 
a salable product(s)'') or (b) two (2) companies, one of which must be 
a ``mining'' company and the other must be an equipment manufacturer/
re-manufacturer or service provider to the mining industry, or mining 
technology developer or a mineral processing company if it's 
appropriate for facilitating the commercial process. Applications 
submitted directly by or on behalf of: (1) Another Federal agency, (2) 
an FFRDC sponsored by another Federal agency; or (3) a DOE M&O 
Contractor are ineligible for consideration under this solicitation. 
Applications submitted by an organization covered by the Simpson-Craig 
Amendment are also ineligible for consideration.
    The solicitation is available for downloading from the IIPS Web 
page (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 on 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.

    Issued in Pittsburgh, PA, on February 26, 2003.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 03-5588 Filed 3-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P