The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) and NETL have announced its intention to commit approximately $81 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development projects through the release of the draft funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002180, Design Development and System Integration Design Studies for Coal FIRST Concepts. The draft FOA has been issued so that interested parties are aware of DOE’s intention to issue the finalized FOA later this summer.

Projects resulting from the finalized FOA will support DOE’s Coal FIRST initiative.

DOE’s Coal FIRST (Flexible, Innovative, Resilient, Small, Transformative) initiative will develop the coal plant of the future that is needed to provide secure, stable, and reliable energy. Coal FIRST plants will be capable of flexible operations to meet the emerging needs of the grid and transportation sector; use innovative and cutting-edge components that improve efficiency and reduce emissions; provide resilient energy to Americans; be small compared to today’s conventional utility-scale coal-fired plants; and transform how coal technologies are designed and manufactured. Some designs will also provide hydrogen to support transportation and industrial applications.

The projects will complete (1) design development; (2) host site evaluation and environmental information volume; (3) an investment case analysis; and (4) a system integration design study for an engineering-scale prototype of one of the following Coal FIRST power plant concepts:

1. Flexible Ultra Supercritical (USC) Coal-Fired Power Plant
2. Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustor with Supercritical Steam Cycle Power Plant
3. Hybrid Natural Gas Turbine / USC Coal Boiler Power Plant
4. Flexible Gasification of Coal & Biomass to Generate Electric Power and a Carbon-Free Hydrogen Co-Product

Projects will be managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Details in the draft FOA are subject to change. Read the draft FOA here.

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.