Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Forest products industry; black liquor/biomass gasification development and demonstration,

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Federal Register: January 6, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 4)NoticesPage 762-763From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr06ja00-30

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Notice Inviting Financial Assistance Applications

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Lab (NETL).

ACTION: Notice Inviting Financial Assistance Applications.

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy announces that it intends to conduct a competitive Program Solicitation and award financial assistance (cooperative agreements) for the program entitled ``Development and Demonstration of Black Liquor/Biomass Gasification in the Forest Products Industry.'' Through this solicitation, NETL seeks to support applications to improve the processing of Black Liquor and Biomass from the forest industry using Gasification Systems. Applications will be subjected to a review by a DOE technical panel, and awards will be made to a limited number of applicants based on a scientific and engineering evaluation of the responses received to determine the relative merit of the approach taken in response to this offering by the DOE, and funding availability.

FOR FURTHER SOLICITATION INFORMATION CONTACT: William Mundorf, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Acquisition and Assistance Division, PO Box 10940, MS 921-143, Pittsburgh PA 15236-0940, Telephone: (412) 386-4483, FAX: (412) 386- 6137, E-mail: mundorf@NETL.doe.gov. The solicitation (available in both WordPerfect 6.1 and Portable Document Format (PDF)) will be released on DOE's NETL World Wide Web Server Internet System (http:// www.NETL.doe.gov/business/solicit) on or about January 3, 2000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title of Solicitation: ``Development and Demonstration of Black Liquor/Biomass Gasification in the Forest Products Industry.''

Objectives: Through Program Solicitation No. DE-PS26-00FT40772, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks applications for cost-shared demonstration of technologies which will enhance economic competitiveness, improve energy efficiency, and reduce environmental impacts while providing quality products within the forest products industry. The focus of the research will address research priorities identified by the forest products industry in the Agenda 2020 The Path Forward: An Implementation Plan. Approximately $14,000,000 fiscal year 2000 (FY 2000) federal funds are expected to be available to support the first year of a multi-year effort. DOE is looking for a path forward to demonstrate cost-effective, energy efficient, gasification technologies for integrated gasification combined cycle or gasification/cogeneration applications. Competitive development of combined cycle, gasification technologies (for both black liquor and biomass feedstocks) are well underway. However, large-scale pilot plant or demonstrations are needed to promote widespread adoption of advanced gasification technologies in the Forest Products industry. DOE anticipates awarding multiple cooperative agreements. Projects will be limited to eight years or less, but it is expected that successful demonstrations will be achieved in as early as three years. Proposals for projects which will both develop and demonstrate existing technologies will require a minimum 50% cost share of the total estimated project cost.

Eligibility: Eligibility for participation in this Program Solicitation is considered to be full and open. All interested parties may apply. The solicitation will contain a complete description of the technical evaluation factors and relative importance of each factor.

Program Technology Definition: The Department is interested in obtaining applications to improve the processing of Black Liquor and Biomass from forest products using gasification systems:

  (A) Black Liquor Gasification Systems: Kraft black liquor and semi- chem caustic-carbonate liquor are mixtures of dissolved organic components resulting from the

[Page 763]processing of wood, inorganic cooking chemicals, and water. Though concentrated by multiple effects evaporators, these liquor still contain a high percentage of water and have sufficient heating value to be considered low quality fuels. The technical topic is for safe, integrated gasification systems which can permit the separation and recovery of the inorganic cooking chemicals while concurrently producing a combustible product gas from the organics. This product gas after cleaning must be a viable low-to-medium caloric value fuel. Key technical gaps that require demonstration include: materials of construction with known life expectancy, gas clean-up and demonstration of integrating gasification, power cycle and pulp mill systems. For systems employing cold gas clean-up, the key gaps are physical scale-up of the gasification processes under development and commercial demonstration. For systems with hot gas clean up, the clean-up system itself must be added as a serious technology gap; and

  (B) Forest Products Biomass Gasification Systems: Wood room waste or hog fuel is conventionally burned in specifically designed boilers so as to capture a portion of the valuable energy sources found in Forest Products mills. They suffer from low power-to-steam output ratio and high capital and maintenance costs. The technical topic is for gasification systems which can utilize these fuels being mostly half water by weight and to produce a higher quality fuel gas. Such systems are required to be able to be integrated with gas turbines and steam turbines for electric power generation. These biomass gasification combined cycle systems must be able to offer a positive contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For systems using low- temperature gasification, destruction/removal of tars and other condensible organic compound clean-up, physical scale-up, and commercial demonstration of the integrated gasification combined cycle systems is an issue and must be proven on a pilot scale.

Awards: DOE anticipates issuing financial assistance (cooperative agreements) for each project selected. DOE reserves the right to support or not support, with or without discussions, any or all applications received in whole or in part, and to determine how many awards may be made through the solicitation subject to funds available. Approximately $100 million of DOE funding is planned for this solicitation through the course of the program. The estimated funding by the DOE is planned to be shared between three to four project awards. A 50% cost share of the total estimated project costs by the applicant is required, and details of the cost sharing requirement are contained in the solicitation.

Solicitation Release Date: The Program Solicitation is expected to be ready for release on or about January 3, 2000. Applications must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the instructions and forms contained in the Program Solicitation. Two open periods will be used to receive qualifying proposals. Initial proposals will be evaluated and selections made within six months of submittal. The proposal due date for the first evaluation period is February 29, 2000 and June 1, 2000 for the second and final. Raymond D. Johnson, Contracting Officer, Acquisition and Assistance Division.

FR Doc. 00-289Filed1-5-00; 8:45 amBILLING CODE 6450-01-P

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