[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2129-2130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-782]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


National Energy Technology Laboratory; Notice of Availability of 
a Funding Opportunity Announcement

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

ACTION: Notice of availability of a funding opportunity announcement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the intent to issue Funding 
Opportunity Announcement No. DE-PS26-04NT42074 entitled ``Solid State 
Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) Core Technology Program.'' The 
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking applications 
under this announcement to develop, through the Core Technology 
Program, science and technologies that address specific technical 
challenges and barriers faced by the SECA Industrial Teams. The DOE 
goal for SECA Industrial Teams is to develop a 3 kilowatt (kW)-10kW 
solid-oxide fuel cell system that has a Factory Cost of $400/kW by 
2010. Development of solid-oxide fuel cell power systems that are 
applicable to stationary, mobile and military applications with minimal 
differences in core module components is desired. A goal of DOE is to 
encourage the entry of one or more fuel cell systems developed in the 
SECA Program into one or more commercial markets at the earliest 
possible date. Core Technology Program research and development is an 
integral part of the effort to achieve the aforementioned goals.

DATES: The funding opportunity announcement will be available on the 
``Industry Interactive Procurement System'' (IIPS) Web page located at 
http://e-center.doe.gov on or about January 9, 2004. Applicants can 
obtain access to the funding opportunity announcement from the address 
above or through DOE/NETL's Web site at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business.

ADDRESSES: Questions and comments regarding the content of the 
announcement should be submitted through the ``Submit Question'' 
feature of IIPS at http://e-center.doe.gov. Locate

[[Page 2130]]

the announcement on IIPS and then click on the ``Submit Question'' 
button. You will receive an electronic notification that your question 
has been answered. Responses to questions may be viewed through the 
``View Questions'' feature. If no questions have been answered, a 
statement to that effect will appear. You should periodically check 
``View Questions'' for new questions and answers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie Dowdell, Contract Specialist, 
MS 921-107, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology 
Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, E-mail Address: 
[email protected], Telephone Number: 412-386-5879.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SECA supports the objectives of the 
Comprehensive National Energy Strategy; in addition, it addresses 
Presidential Initiatives including Hydrogen Fuel, FutureGen, Climate 
Change and Clear Skies. Specific benefits of solid-oxide fuel cell 
technology include:
    (1) High efficiency. Even without cogeneration a solid-oxide fuel 
cell system can be twice as efficient as competing technologies due to 
the direct conversion of fuel to electrical power. With thermal 
recovery, system efficiency could reach 85%.
    (2) Fuel cell systems promise to be one of the most reliable power 
generation technologies. Hospitals, hotels, and telephone companies are 
now using them as part of critical uninterruptible power supply 
systems. SECA will result in distributed generation products that will 
further increase grid reliability and safety.
    (3) Solid-oxide fuel cell systems are clean. They generate no solid 
wastes, and due to the higher efficiency and the replacement of fossil 
fuel combustion with a lower temperature electrochemical conversion, 
fuel cells significantly lower emissions of nitrogen compounds and 
greenhouse gases.
    (4) Fuel cells expand energy choices. They can be used in virtually 
any application for the production of useful energy from fossil fuels 
in a very efficient manner. As environmental requirements become more 
stringent, fuel cells are an important option in producing useful 
energy in an environmentally friendly way.
    (5) Fuel cells manufactured as small scalable modules and produced 
cheaply by taking advantage of economies of production, are well suited 
for developing countries without an existing energy infrastructure, and 
will help meet a growing worldwide demand for energy. Solid-oxide fuel 
cell power systems developed in the SECA Program will not require large 
one-time investments of capital that characterize large central 
generation plants. The modules produced will be scalable allowing 
application of capital in smaller incremental amounts. This is a 
tenable economic scenario for developing countries.
    The main objective of the Core Technology Program is to develop 
science and technologies that will be adopted by the SECA Industrial 
Teams to increase their success in developing commercially-viable 
solid-oxide fuel cell power systems. The SECA Core Technology Program 
provides a direct link for Core Technology participants to market new 
technology developments to an established customer base via the SECA 
Industrial Teams. It is expected that this program structure should 
significantly shorten the time period between Core Technology 
development and commercialization of same technologies. The following 
website provides additional information on the SECA Program including 
the program structure and information on the Core Technology component: 
www.seca.doe.gov.
    This SECA Core Technology announcement focuses on specific sub-
areas of interest under two Core Technology areas of interest: (1) 
Materials; and (2) Fuel Processing. Applications can only be submitted 
to one of the sub-areas of interest that follow:
    Area of Interest 1, Materials, is comprised of four separate sub-
areas of interest to which an application may be submitted.

(1) Materials--Sulfur-Tolerant Anodes
(2) Materials--Interconnects
(3) Materials--Cathode/Interconnect Contact
(4) Materials--Innovative Sealing Concepts

    Area of Interest 2, Fuel Processing, is comprised of three separate 
sub-areas of interest to which an application may be submitted.

(1) Fuel Processing--Diesel Fuel Reformation Catalysts
(2) Fuel Processing--Integrated Diesel Fuel Injection and Mixing
(3) Fuel Processing--Carbon and Sulfur Deposition/Reaction Mechanisms 
for Diesel Reforming Catalysts

    DOE anticipates awarding approximately thirteen (13) cooperative 
agreements under this Program Announcement. This particular program is 
covered by Section 3001 and 3002 of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct), 42 
U.S.C. 13542 for financial assistance awards and requires a cost share 
commitment of at least 20 percent from non-federal sources for research 
and development projects. Approximately $7,000,000 in total funding is 
expected to be available under this announcement.
    Once released, the funding opportunity announcement 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 funding opportunity announcement will only be made 
available in IIPS, no hard (paper) copies of the funding opportunity 
announcement and related documents will be made available. Telephone 
requests, written requests, E-mail requests, or facsimile requests for 
a copy of the funding opportunity announcement will not be accepted 
and/or honored. Applications must be prepared and submitted in 
accordance with the instructions and forms contained in the 
announcement. The actual funding opportunity announcement document will 
allow for requests for explanation and/or interpretation.

    Issued in Pittsburgh, PA on January 6, 2004.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 04-782 Filed 1-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P