The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) for a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) focused on recovering rare earth elements (REE) and critical materials (CM) from domestic coal  resources, using novel and conventional extraction, separation, and recovery processes.

DE-FOA-0002003, Process Scale-Up and Optimization/Efficiency Improvements for Rare Earth Elements (REE) and Critical Materials (CM) Recovery from Coal-Based Resources, will support FE’s Rare Earth Elements program. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage these projects.  It is anticipated that the FOA will target two areas of interest (AOIs).

1. Production of REEs and CMs – Transitioning and Scale-Up of Novel Extraction/Separation Concept Development into Bench-Scale Facility REE/CM Production. Specifically, this AOI will focus on further development or scale-up of novel REE and CM extraction and separation concepts, leading to production of REEs and CMs in bench-scale facilities.

2. Production of REEs and CMs – Transitioning and Scale-Up of Conventional Extraction/Separation Processes from Bench-Scale to Pilot-Scale Facility REE/CM Production. Specifically, this AOI will focus on further development or scale-up of bench-scale, conventional REE recovery processes, leading to the production of REEs and CMs in pilot-scale facilities.

The FOA is anticipated to be issued the second quarter of fiscal year 2019. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin considering developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of its issuance. No applications will be accepted through the NOI, and all the information it contains is subject to change.

Read the full NOI here , under Reference Number DE-FOA-0002003.

The Office of Fossil Energy funds research and development projects to reduce the risk and cost of advanced fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of the Nation’s fossil resources. To learn more about the programs within the Office of Fossil Energy, visit the Office of Fossil Energy website or sign up for FE news announcements. More information about the National Energy Technology Laboratory is available on the NETL website.