[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6956-6957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3095]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


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

AGENCY: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), 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-PS26-04NT42064 entitled ``Mining 
Industry of the Future Grand Challenge Technology Concepts for the 
Mining Industry.'' NETL, on behalf of the Energy Efficiency Renewable 
Energy (EERE)-ITP Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), is seeking 
cost-shared research and development applications for technologies 
which will reduce energy consumption, enhance economic competitiveness, 
and reduce environmental impacts of the domestic mining industry.

DATES: The draft 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 February 9, 2004. The final 
funding opportunity announcement will also be available on the 
``Industry Interactive Procurement System'' (IIPS) Web page located at 
http://e-center.doe.gov on or about March 1, 2004. Applicants can also 
obtain access to the draft and final funding opportunity announcements 
through DOE/NETL's Web site at http://www.netl.doe.gov/business. 
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 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: Crystal A. Sharp, MS I07, U.S. 
Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 
880/3610 Collins Ferry Road, E-mail Address: 
[email protected], Telephone Number: 304-285-4442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: While the mining industry uses many of the 
latest evolutionary technologies in their operations, further 
revolutionary energy efficient processes and technological advances in 
extraction, materials handling, and beneficiation/processing are needed 
to enable the mining industry to remain competitive. The objective of 
the targeted announcement is to support the stated national interests 
by funding research and development (R&D) projects that address 
technology needs presented at the Grand Challenge workshops in 2003 as 
well as those described in the Energy Analysis. The Energy Analysis is 
a presentation showing the results of an energy analysis study to 
demonstrate where the largest energy saving opportunities are in mining 
and is located at http://www.oit.doe.gov/mining/pdfs/energyanalysis.pdf. The Grand Challenge Technology Concepts for the 
Mining Industry ``focuses on developing revolutionary energy efficiency 
improvements in the areas of extraction, materials handling, and 
beneficiation/processing in the mining industry.'' The three key 
industry-identified research areas are the Energy Efficient 
Alternatives to Current Technologies in Extraction, Materials Handling, 
and Beneficiation/Processing that offer the largest opportunities for 
energy savings presented in the Energy Analysis. The areas of interest 
are activities in the mining industry that is integral to the 
operations of Surface Mining, Underground Mining, and Mineral 
Processing. Surface Mining, also called strip mining, placer mining, 
trench mining, opencast, opencut mining, and/or open pit mining is done 
at or near the surface where the overburden can be removed without too 
much expense. Interests include but are not limited to: solution 
mining, materials handling, systems integration and automation/robotics 
for all mining at or near the surface where overburden can be 
economically removed. Underground 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 but are not 
limited to: Near face (such as intelligent or remote controlled 
robotics), ancillary (activities not directly involved in ore mining 
such as ventilation and improved health conditions). Maintenance 
operations and technical services are also of

[[Page 6957]]

interest. Mineral and Coal Processing encompasses unit processes 
required to size, separate, and process for eventual use. These 
processes include comminution (crushing and grinding), sizing 
(screening or classifying), separation (physical or chemical), 
dewatering (thickening, filtration, or drying), and hydrometallurgical 
or chemical processing. The Energy Analysis forms the basis of this 
announcement and characterizes the three interest areas as follows:
    Area of Interest 1: Energy Efficient Alternatives to Current 
Technologies in Extraction--Extraction is the removal of ore from 
surface or underground mines. This involves excavating activities such 
as digging, blasting, breaking, loading and hauling. Interests include 
revolutionary energy alternatives to mineral processes using equipment 
or processes to mine and process ore.
    Area of Interest 2: Energy Efficient Alternatives to Material 
Handling--Materials handling is the use of any equipment or process to 
transport ore and waste. Interests include revolutionary energy 
alternatives with regard to energy used per unit of output to current 
technologies involving the use of equipment or processes to handle and 
transport ore and waste.
    Area of Interest 3: Energy Efficient Alternatives to Current 
Technologies in Beneficiation and Processing--Beneficiation and 
Processing is the use of equipment or processes to crush, grind, 
concentrate and/or separating the ore from the unwanted material. 
Interests include revolutionary energy alternatives with regard to 
energy use per unit of output to current technologies using equipment 
or processes to crush, grind, concentrate and/or separating the ore 
from the unwanted material.
    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.

    Issued in Pittsburgh, PA, on February 4, 2004.
Dale A. Siciliano,
Director, Acquisition and Assistance Division.
[FR Doc. 04-3095 Filed 2-11-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P