D-Day: DOE offers $90M for advanced biofuels pilots and demonstrations, starting June 6

In Washington, the US Energy Department is making $90 million in project funding available, focused on designing, constructing and operating integrated biorefinery facilities.

Project Development for Pilot and Demonstration Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower is a funding opportunity meant to assist in the construction of bioenergy infrastructure to integrate cutting-edge pretreatment, process, and convergence technologies.

The funding opportunity announcement, the DOE said, will advance the Department’s goal of producing at least three total pioneer commercial plants over the next twelve years.

The Department said in a prepared statement that “the production of biofuels from sustainable, non-food, domestic biomass resources is an important strategy to meet the Administration’s goals to reduce carbon emissions and our dependence on imported oil.”

Phase 1 and 2

The FOA seeks applications for projects to first design, and then construct and operate IBR facilities. There will be a down-select review between the design phase (Phase 1) and the construction/operation phase (Phase 2). The down-select decision will be made by DOE at the completion of the design phase. Project performance in Phase 1, as well as portfolio balance, availability of funds, and other factors will be considered in the down-select decision process. Only projects selected by DOE as a result of the down-select process will receive additional funding and be permitted to proceed into the construction/operation phase (Phase 2).

Areas of focus

1. Pilot scale production of Biofuels from high impact cellulosic, algal, or biogas feedstocks. Minimum feedstock throughput must be 1 dry metric ton (DMT) per day or equivalent throughput of algal biomass or biogas. Bioproducts and biopower are only allowed as co-products from the facility.

2. Demonstration scale production of Biofuels from high impact cellulosic, algal, or biogas feedstocks. Minimum feedstock throughput must be 50 DMT per day or equivalent of algal biomass or biogas. Bioproducts and biopower are only allowed as co-products from the facility.

3. Production of either biopower or Biofuels from biosolids and other allowable Wet Waste Feedstock streams. Bioproducts are also allowed as co-products from the facility. Minimum feedstock throughput must be 1 DMT per day.

Deadlines

Submission Deadline for Concept Papers: 6/6/16

Submission Deadline for Full Applications: 7/22/16 

Expected Timeframe for Award Negotiations: 1/31/17

Reaction at Fortress DOE

“The domestic bio-industry could play an important part in the growing clean energy economy and in reducing American dependence on imported oil,” said Lynn Orr, DOE’s Under Secretary for Science and Energy. “This funding opportunity will support companies that are working to advance current technologies and help them overcome existing challenges in bioenergy so the industry can meet its full potential.”

More on the story.

The complete funding announcement is here.