Transformational Pre-combustion Carbon Capture Technologies | DE FOA 0001830

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001830

The Department of Energy, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory, issued this funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001830) to push forward "transformational" pre-combustion carbon capture technologies that could make emissions control more practical and less expensive for gasification-based energy and industrial systems. The broader context is DOE's Fossil Energy Research and Development mission: keep traditional domestic energy resources viable in a way that is cleaner, secure, and affordable, while also strengthening environmental performance. Within that mission, DOE's Carbon Capture program supports technology development for both post-combustion capture (such as capture from pulverized coal power plant flue gas) and pre-combustion capture (such as capture integrated into gasification systems like IGCC).

This FOA is specifically aimed at pre-combustion capture, meaning it targets gas streams produced before fuel combustion, typically in coal gasification where coal (or similar feedstocks) are converted into synthesis gas (syngas) containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other components. In these systems, capture can be achieved by separating hydrogen (H2) to produce a hydrogen-rich fuel stream, or by separating carbon dioxide (CO2) from shifted syngas so that CO2 can be managed while enabling cleaner power production or hydrogen production. DOE states that first-generation capture technologies already exist and are either commercial or in demonstration, and that second-generation approaches in R&D may meet an economic target of under $40 per tonne of CO2 captured. Even so, the FOA emphasizes that current solutions remain too costly for broad deployment across the existing coal fleet, and the goal is to fund new or improved separation approaches that can materially change the cost and performance equation.

Applicants were invited to propose technologies focused on either H2 separation or CO2 separation in pre-combustion environments, with a clear expectation that the resulting innovations would apply directly to coal gasification processes that produce coal-derived syngas or hydrogen. DOE also highlights that gasification is widely used in industrial settings to make chemicals, so successful technologies from this program could have immediate relevance beyond power generation, including industrial gasifiers that produce chemical feedstocks. An additional rationale is strategic and economic: if these capture and separation technologies advance successfully, they may become exportable solutions for international markets that have a larger installed base of gasifiers than the United States, helping maintain U.S. leadership and expertise in gas separations.

The opportunity allowed proposals involving syngas derived from coal or petcoke, but it included an important condition: if the proposed fuel source is not coal, the applicant must demonstrate clear applicability to a coal-based system. This reinforces that the program's central use case is coal gasification, even if parallel feedstocks are used for development or testing. DOE also connects the work to long-term energy planning, noting that maintaining domestic capability in gas separation technologies helps the U.S. stay prepared in case coal-gasification-based power generation becomes more attractive again, for example if natural gas prices rise.

From an administrative standpoint, this was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project (for example, technical direction, milestone reviews, and collaborative project management). Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types could apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement. The FOA was created February 21, 2018, with an original application deadline of April 19, 2018. DOE anticipated making about eight awards, with an award ceiling of $2.5 million per award. The funding activity category is research and development in energy, science, and technology, and it is associated with CFDA number 81.089.

• 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 "Transformational Pre-combustion Carbon Capture Technologies" 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 Feb 21, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 19, 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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 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.

Apply for DE FOA 0001830

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