[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2032-2033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-265]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Hydrogen Production Cost Independent Review

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Request for information and notice of independent review.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) today gives notice of a request 
for information and an independent progress assessment by the DOE 
Hydrogen Program in meeting research and development (R&D) cost goals 
for production of hydrogen using distributed natural gas reforming 
technology. A review panel is being assembled by the National Renewable 
Energy Laboratory (NREL) Hydrogen Program Systems Integrator to review 
the current state of distributed natural gas reforming technology and 
costs. Based on the findings of the panel, the Systems Integrator will 
submit a written report to DOE on or before April 1, 2006. Position 
papers regarding the cost of hydrogen production via distributed 
natural gas reforming will be accepted by the Systems Integrator for 
consideration by the review panel. In addition, the panel may hear 
presentations from submitters as part of the assessment.

DATES: Written position papers for consideration by the review panel 
regarding this topic must be received by February 1, 2006. The NREL 
Systems Integrator must receive requests to speak before the review 
panel no later than February 15, 2006. Attendees at the review panel 
will be limited to the presenter(s), the independent review panel, NREL 
Systems Integrator, and DOE representatives.

ADDRESSES: Written position papers regarding the topic and requests to 
speak before the review panel are welcomed. Please submit 2 hardcopies 
of the position paper to: NREL Systems Integrator, U.S. Department of 
Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Mail 
Stop 1732, Golden, CO 80401-3393, Attn: Dale Gardner. Requests to 
present before the panel should be sent to Mr. Gardner via e-mail to 
[email protected] or Phone (303) 275-3020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Independent review panel and process questions--Mr. Dale Gardner, 
U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 
Cole Boulevard, Mail Stop 1732, Golden, CO 80401-3393, Attn: Dale 
Gardner, Phone (303) 275-3020, e-mail [email protected].
    Distributed natural gas reforming technology questions--Mr. Pete 
Devlin, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy, Mail Station EE-2H, Attn: Pete Devlin, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, Phone: (202) 586-
4905, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of DOE's Hydrogen, Fuel Cells 
and Infrastructure Technologies Program is to research, develop and 
validate fuel cell and hydrogen production, delivery, and storage 
technologies such that hydrogen from diverse domestic resources will be 
used in a clean, safe, reliable and affordable manner in fuel cell 
vehicles; central

[[Page 2033]]

station electric power production; distributed thermal electric; and 
combined heat and power applications. The President's Hydrogen Fuel 
Initiative accelerates research, development and demonstration of 
hydrogen production, delivery and storage technologies to support an 
industry commercialization decision on the hydrogen economy by 2015. 
The FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership is working toward an industry 
commercialization decision on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2015.
    The transition to a hydrogen economy will take decades. During this 
transition, it is anticipated that a primary source of hydrogen for use 
in transportation by light duty fuel cell vehicles will be the 
distributed reforming of hydrogen from natural gas. This method is 
anticipated because (1) reforming is already a mature technology for 
some applications, (2) it conceivably can be cost competitive with 
other fuels and technologies in the transition timeframe, (3) the 
natural gas feedstock is accessable and dispersed, and (4) distributed 
production avoids a large scale hydrogen delivery/distribution 
infrastructures during the transition period. The following table shows 
the DOE cost goal status and targets over time for this production 
method. As calendar year 2005 comes to an end, an assessment of 
progress toward the $3.00/gge H2 target is needed.

          Table 3.1.2.--Technical Targets: Distributed Production of Hydrogen From Natural Gas \a\ \b\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                          Calendar year
                                                                                --------------------------------
                Characteristics                               Units               2003 \c\   2005 \d\   2010 \d\
                                                                                   status     target     target
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Hydrogen Cost............................  $/gge H2......................       5.00       3.00      2.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (See http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/mypp/pdfs/production.pdf, page 3-10, for complete table
  and footnotes).

    DOE has access to the results of R&D and demonstration projects in 
this technology area that it has funded to date, but additional 
information is requested from industry, academia, associations, and 
entities who are otherwise involved in aspects of distributed natural 
gas reforming. Position papers are limited to 10 pages maximum. A Cost 
Data Table is being assembled to help determine the current state of 
distributed natural gas reforming technologies. This table must be 
included in the position papers and/or presentations. The table can be 
downloaded from the DOE Hydrogen Program Web site at http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/ docs/natural--gas--cost--sheet.xls. At a 
minimum, a submitter (position paper, presentation, or both) should 
provide this table filled out to the maximum extent possible. DOE 
recognizes that some submitters may not be able to complete all fields. 
For example, a company that develops only a subsystem/component of a 
reformer will only be able to address those table elements involved in 
that subsystem/component technology. Briefing materials should be 
forwarded to the NREL Systems Integrator for consideration as a 
presentation to the review panel. The review panel will meet during the 
February 15 through March 15 time frame to hear presentations that 
include data to support the presenter's position.
    If confidential/proprietary information is provided in position 
papers or presentations, it must be clearly marked as such by the 
submitter. The independent review panel will be screened for conflicts 
of interest and each member will have completed confidentiality 
agreements to protect any information submitted. In addition, all 
materials will be returned to the submitter when the assessment is 
complete. The final assessment by the panel will be publicly available 
and will not contain any information which is identified by a submitter 
as confidential or proprietary.
    For more information about the DOE Hydrogen Program and related 
hydrogen production activities visit the program's Web site at http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov.

    Issued in Golden, CO on January 3, 2005.
Andrea K. Lucero,
Acting Procurement Director, Golden Field Office.
[FR Doc. 06-265 Filed 1-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P