Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001816
The Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) funding opportunity DE-FOA-0001816 focuses on advancing turbine-based components and subsystems that can improve the performance, efficiency, and commercial readiness of next-generation fossil energy power systems. The central technical theme is developing machinery and enabling technologies for turbine-based heat engines that can operate on fuels relevant to current and future fossil infrastructure, including natural gas as well as coal-derived synthesis gas (syngas) and coal-derived hydrogen. While the end-use relevance includes coal gasification and coal-derived fuel pathways, the program intentionally treats natural gas as the primary developmental fuel because it offers a large, active market and generally requires only modest, manageable modifications for turbines to transition between natural gas and coal syngas or hydrogen. By building and validating the technology base around natural gas applications, the FOA aims to accelerate technology readiness level (TRL) maturation, shorten the time to commercial deployment, and ultimately deliver hardware that can be applied sooner to coal-derived syngas and hydrogen systems.
The FOA seeks applications across three main areas of interest. First, it targets advanced combustion turbines for combined-cycle applications, with the overarching goal implied by the title: enabling pathways toward about 65 percent combined-cycle efficiency. In practice, this area is about pushing turbine component capability and subsystem performance so combined-cycle plants can achieve higher net efficiency, typically by increasing firing temperature, improving cooling effectiveness, enhancing aerodynamics, reducing losses, and ensuring materials and coatings can survive harsher environments. Because combined-cycle systems rely on tight integration between the gas turbine topping cycle and the steam bottoming cycle, advancements in turbine hot-section components, combustors, and supporting subsystems can have outsized impacts on overall plant efficiency and emissions intensity per unit of electricity produced.
Second, the FOA calls for development of an oxy-fuel combustion turbine with CO2 dilution specifically aimed at supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) based power cycles. This area aligns with emerging cycles where sCO2 is used as a working fluid to potentially improve cycle efficiency and reduce equipment size compared to traditional steam Rankine systems. Oxy-fuel combustion, in which fuel is burned with oxygen instead of air, can produce a CO2-rich exhaust stream that can be more readily conditioned for carbon capture. However, oxy-fuel combustion presents thermal management and materials challenges because it can create very high flame temperatures; using CO2 dilution is a strategy to moderate temperatures and manage heat transfer while maintaining a CO2-dominant working environment compatible with sCO2 cycle integration. Projects in this area would generally be expected to address combustor and turbine operability in CO2-rich, oxygen-fired conditions, including stability, emissions behavior, cooling approaches, component durability, and integration considerations for an sCO2 power block.
Third, the FOA solicits modular turbine-based hybrid heat engines for fossil energy applications. This area emphasizes modularity and hybridization, which typically means combining turbine machinery with other heat sources, heat recovery approaches, or complementary cycles to improve efficiency, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. A modular hybrid heat engine concept can be attractive for scaling, manufacturing repeatability, and deployment flexibility across different plant sizes or industrial settings. It also suggests an interest in systems that can integrate multiple thermal inputs or operate efficiently across a range of conditions, which can be important for evolving grid demands and for industrial applications where waste heat recovery or variable operations are common.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is a discretionary program funded through cooperative agreements, meaning the government generally expects to have substantial involvement during project execution (for example, through technical direction, milestone reviews, or coordination). The CFDA number is 81.089, and eligibility is listed as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to any additional clarifications in the full announcement. The FOA was created on November 15, 2017, with an original closing date of January 24, 2018. The award ceiling listed is $500,000, and the expected number of awards is 11. Overall, the program is structured to move turbine and turbine-subsystem innovations toward nearer-term market validation using natural gas while ensuring the resulting technology can be translated to coal-derived syngas and hydrogen applications, particularly those connected to coal gasification and future low-carbon fossil power concepts.Apply for DE FOA 0001816
- The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Advanced Components for 65% Combined-Cycle Efficiency, SCO2 Power Cycles and Advanced Modular Hybrid Heat Engines" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 15, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 24, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is DE-FOA-0001816 focused on?
DE-FOA-0001816 is a Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) funding opportunity focused on advancing turbine-based components and subsystems. The aim is to improve the performance, efficiency, and commercial readiness of next-generation fossil energy power systems by developing machinery and enabling technologies for turbine-based heat engines.
What is the central technical theme of this funding opportunity?
The central technical theme is the development of machinery and enabling technologies for turbine-based heat engines that can operate on fuels relevant to current and future fossil energy infrastructure. The fuels highlighted include natural gas, coal-derived synthesis gas (syngas), and coal-derived hydrogen.
Which fuel is treated as the primary developmental fuel, and why?
The program intentionally treats natural gas as the primary developmental fuel because it has a large, active market. The FOA also notes that transitioning turbine technologies between natural gas and coal syngas or hydrogen generally requires only modest, manageable modifications. By developing and validating around natural gas applications, the FOA seeks to accelerate technology readiness level (TRL) maturation and shorten time to commercial deployment.
How does the FOA relate to coal-derived fuels if natural gas is the main development focus?
While natural gas is the main developmental fuel for market and deployment reasons, the FOA is designed so that resulting turbine hardware and subsystems can be applied to coal-derived syngas and coal-derived hydrogen systems sooner. The end-use relevance includes coal gasification and coal-derived fuel pathways, and the intent is to translate technology validated in natural gas environments to coal-derived fuel applications.
What are the three main areas of interest in the FOA?
The FOA seeks applications across three main areas: (1) advanced combustion turbines for combined-cycle applications with pathways toward about 65 percent combined-cycle efficiency, (2) an oxy-fuel combustion turbine with CO2 dilution aimed at supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles, and (3) modular turbine-based hybrid heat engines for fossil energy applications.
What is the goal of the advanced combustion turbines area for combined-cycle applications?
The advanced combustion turbines area is oriented toward enabling pathways to approximately 65 percent combined-cycle efficiency. It emphasizes improving turbine component capability and subsystem performance so combined-cycle plants can achieve higher net efficiency.
What kinds of technology improvements are implied for reaching higher combined-cycle efficiency?
The FOA description implies improvements such as increasing firing temperature, improving cooling effectiveness, enhancing aerodynamics, reducing losses, and ensuring that materials and coatings can survive harsher operating environments. Because combined-cycle performance depends on integration between the gas turbine topping cycle and the steam bottoming cycle, improvements in hot-section components, combustors, and supporting subsystems can significantly affect overall plant efficiency and emissions intensity per unit of electricity generated.
What is the oxy-fuel combustion turbine with CO2 dilution area trying to achieve?
This area calls for development of an oxy-fuel combustion turbine with CO2 dilution specifically aimed at integration with supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) based power cycles. It aligns with emerging sCO2 cycles that may improve efficiency and reduce equipment size compared to traditional steam Rankine systems.
Why is oxy-fuel combustion relevant to carbon capture concepts in this FOA?
Oxy-fuel combustion burns fuel with oxygen instead of air, which can produce a CO2-rich exhaust stream. A CO2-rich stream can be more readily conditioned for carbon capture, and the FOA highlights this relevance in the context of sCO2 cycle integration.
What role does CO2 dilution play in oxy-fuel turbine development?
Oxy-fuel combustion can lead to very high flame temperatures, creating thermal management and materials challenges. CO2 dilution is described as a strategy to moderate temperatures and manage heat transfer while maintaining a CO2-dominant working environment compatible with sCO2 cycle integration.
What technical issues are projects expected to address for oxy-fuel turbines in CO2-rich conditions?
Based on the FOA description, projects in this area would generally be expected to address combustor and turbine operability in CO2-rich, oxygen-fired conditions, including stability, emissions behavior, cooling approaches, component durability, and integration considerations for an sCO2 power block.
What are modular turbine-based hybrid heat engines in the context of this FOA?
This area solicits modular turbine-based hybrid heat engines for fossil energy applications. The emphasis is on modularity and hybridization, typically meaning turbine machinery combined with other heat sources, heat recovery approaches, or complementary cycles to improve efficiency, flexibility, and cost effectiveness.
Why does the FOA emphasize modularity for hybrid heat engines?
Modularity is presented as attractive for scaling, manufacturing repeatability, and deployment flexibility across different plant sizes or industrial settings. The FOA also suggests interest in systems that can integrate multiple thermal inputs or operate efficiently across a range of conditions, which can matter for evolving grid demands and industrial settings with variable operations or waste heat recovery opportunities.
What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?
The opportunity is funded through cooperative agreements.
What does it mean that awards are cooperative agreements?
The FOA notes that cooperative agreements imply the government generally expects substantial involvement during project execution. Examples given include technical direction, milestone reviews, or coordination.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 81.089.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional clarifications contained in the full announcement.
When was the FOA created, and what was the original closing date?
The FOA was created on November 15, 2017, and the original closing date was January 24, 2018.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $500,000.
How many awards were expected?
The expected number of awards is 11.
How does this FOA aim to speed up commercialization?
The FOA aims to accelerate TRL maturation and shorten time to commercial deployment by building and validating the technology base around natural gas applications, where there is an active market. The intention is that validated hardware can then be applied sooner to coal-derived syngas and hydrogen systems.
What kinds of systems are ultimately intended to benefit from these turbine advancements?
The FOA frames the work around next-generation fossil energy power systems, with relevance to natural gas combined-cycle systems as well as coal-related pathways including coal gasification and coal-derived syngas and hydrogen applications. It also includes concepts tied to sCO2 power cycles and modular hybrid heat engine configurations for fossil energy applications.
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| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement entitled Developing Technologies to Advance the Understanding of State of Stress and Geomechanical Impacts within the Subsurface Apply for DE FOA 0001887 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001887 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Transformational Pre-combustion Carbon Capture Technologies Apply for DE FOA 0001830 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001830 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Developing Technologies to Advance the Understanding of State of Stress and Geomechanical Impacts Within the Subsurface Apply for DE FOA 0001826 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001826 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Core Technology Research Apply for DE FOA 0001853 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001853 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Preliminary Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of MWe-Class Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems Apply for DE FOA 0001850 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001850 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $23,000,000 |
| Industry Partnerships for Cybersecurity of Energy Delivery Systems (CEDS) Research, Development and Demonstration Apply for DE FOA 0001755 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001755 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Big Data Analysis of Synchrophasor Data Apply for DE FOA 0001861 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001861 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to issue Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0001990 Apply for DE FOA 0002016 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002016 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR) Apply for DE FOA 0002024 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002024 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent DE-FOA-0002046 to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0001998 titled - Transformational Sensing Capabilities for Monitoring the Subsurface Apply for DE FOA 0002046 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002046 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| University Turbine Systems Research Apply for DE FOA 0001993 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001993 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0002000 titled Regional Initiative to Accelerate Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Apply for DE FOA 0002086 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002086 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Regional Initiative to Accelerate Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Apply for DE FOA 0002000 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002000 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $7,000,000 |
| Industry Partnerships for Cybersecurity of Energy Delivery Systems Research, Development, and Demonstration Apply for DE FOA 0002065 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002065 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Small-Scale Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Systems for Distributed Power Generation Apply for DE FOA 0002148 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002148 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent to issue 2 Coal FIRST Funding Opportunity Announcements DE-FOA-0002180 and DE-FOA-0002057 Apply for DE FOA 0002176 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002176 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| NOI 2211 for Materials for Power Generation FOA Apply for DE FOA 0002211 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002211 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| RESEARCH FOR INNOVATIVE EMISSION REDUCTION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO COAL COMBUSTION RESIDUALS Apply for DE FOA 0002190 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002190 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Opportunity Notice for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, Electrolyzer, and Hybrid Technology Development Apply for DE FOA 0002318 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002318 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Fossil Energy Based Prodcution, Storage, Transport and Utilization of Hydrogen Approaching Net-Zero or Net-Negative Carbon Emissions Apply for DE FOA 0002400 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002400 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy, Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $7,000,000 |
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