The Manufacturing Moment

Welcome to the Manufacturing Moment – the new newsletter for the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO)! 

The Manufacturing Moment will continue to have much of the same information you were used to seeing in the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) newsletter—including funding opportunities, recent news, and office highlights—with a focus on information that advances AMMTO’s mission and goals to accelerate the adoption of innovative materials and manufacturing technologies in support of a clean, decarbonized economy.

In partnership with Treasury and IRS, DOE announced the intent to release $4 billion in a first round of tax credits as part of the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit program (48C) for projects that strengthen clean energy supply chains. One category focuses on projects that establish or strengthen industrial facilities for processing, refining, or recycling of critical materials (as defined in the Energy Act of 2020).

The 48C program will provide an investment tax credit of 30% of qualified investments for certified projects that meet prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. Learn more about this tax credit and what it means for you. 

In addition to this significant investment in critical materials development, DOE also launched its new critical materials webpage this week: energy.gov/criticalmaterials. Here, you can find all of DOE’s reports, priorities, and recent funding opportunities related to critical materials and their supply chains. This webpage will continue to be developed in the coming months and house all of DOE’s critical materials resources under one digital roof.

We’ll see you back here next month for another update from our new office. 

Recent News & Funding Opportunities

DOE Announces Billions in Funding and Tax Credits to Spur America-MADE Clean Energy Investments and Bolster Domestic Supply Chains 

DOE is partnering with Treasury and IRS to implement two programs funded by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act: the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program (48(e)), and the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit(48C). DOE also opened applications for the $750 million Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to support industrial projects by small- and medium-sized manufacturers in energy communities. Learn more about these historic programs and how they could impact you.  

DOE Announces $30 Million for Materials and Manufacturing to Lower Costs of Large Wind Turbines

(1) A digital rendering of large wind turbine is positioned on a royal blue background next to headline text that reads “U.S. Department of Energy Announces $30 Million for Materials and Manufacturing to Lower Costs of Large Wind Turbines”. Underneath this text are four smaller designs of different wind turbines and above this text is the logo for the Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office.

Last week, the Department of Energy announced a $30 million opportunity funded by AMMTO, dedicating to advancing manufacturing off offshore wind energy systems, specifically large wind turbines. Because wind energy is the largest source of renewable power in the United States and one of the most affordable sources of energy today, it is a critical tool for reducing our reliance on fossil energy, and next-generation technologies and manufacturing improvements will help bring down costs even more. Interested applicants can submit concept papers until March 23, 2023, at 5 P.M. ET.

Find more about this funding opportunity here.

AMMTO Announces $52 Million for Advanced Manufacturing Research, Development & Demonstration

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) is leading a $52 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will drive innovation to develop the next-generation materials and manufacturing technologies required to help tackle the climate crisis. Topic areas supported by this FOA include Next Generation Materials and Manufacturing, Secure and Sustainable Materials and Energy Technology Manufacturing. Find out more about this FOA.  

Energize your Career: AMMTO is Hiring!

(2) The words “EERE is Hiring” are bolded in white against a navy blue background. Underneath this are the words “Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office” in white text, along with the logos for US Department of Energy and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. A small icon of a magnifying glass is in the bottom left corner.

EERE is hosting a webinar on March 2nd aimed at helping recent graduates launch their federal careers. Participants will hear from EERE team members building our clean energy future, network with our subject-matter experts, and learn how to apply for the Pathways Program. Registration is open now.

AMMTO is looking for people who are passionate about improving energy and material efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of manufacturing while driving industrial decarbonization. View the available positions in our office.

High-Performance Computing Projects Primed to Innovate Manufacturing

Six projects that will tap into the Department of Energy-affiliated National Laboratories’ high-performance computing (HPC) resources will share a recently announced $1.8 million DOE investment. The High-Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program provides manufacturers with access to the world’s most powerful supercomputers, allowing them to streamline processes, increase quality, increase productivity, and lower carbon footprints by experimenting in a modeled environment before applying the data to real world applications. The selected projects have goals that include reducing carbon dioxide and methane emissions by replacing gas flares, increasing the energy efficiency of steelmaking, and improving the battery manufacturing process for electric vehicles. Find out more about the selections here.

DOE Releases Strategy for Plastics Innovation

(3) A cover graphic for a report reads “Strategy for Plastics Innovation” in bright blue text at the top, above “US Department of Energy” in smaller, gray text. Beneath this writing is a large circular graphic of different forms of plastic (plastic cups and plastic bags) being converted into different recycled forms of plastic. The background of the graphic is a bright blue image of plastic bottles and jugs.

Each year more than 300 million metric tons of new plastic are generated globally and only a small percentage is recycled. Most plastic waste ends up in landfills and our environment. Building off the Plastics Innovation Challenge launched in 2019, DOE has released the Strategy for Plastics Innovation (SPI), which addresses the energy efficiency, environmental performance, and global warming potential of fossil-fuel-based plastics, as well as opportunities for new bioproducts. The new SPI focuses on four strategic goals: deconstruction of plastics into useful chemical intermediates; upcycling chemical intermediates from plastic waste into high-value products; designing new and renewable plastics and bioplastics that can be easily upcycled; and supporting an energy- and material-efficient domestic plastics supply chain. Find the strategy report here.

Highlights

AMMTO's Deputy Director Featured in STEM Podcast Created by Nvolve Energy Scholars

AMMTO Deputy Director Diana Bauer recently had the opportunity to talk about STEM opportunities in clean energy and manufacturing with the hosts of the EnergiaChat podcast. Esther Gadhela and Lloyd Bekhele, two members of Nvolve Inc's student scholar program for young women in STEM, created, produced, and hosted the podcast, which aims to promote renewable energy, address concerns about climate change, and explore how energy is directly connected to society. Deputy Director Bauer was able to provide insights into the bigger picture of climate change causes and how renewable energy, electrification, and energy efficiency help to address them. Click here to listen to the episode and for more information about the podcast.

Merlin Theodore (CFTF) Named Member of National Science Board

(5) A vertical photograph of a woman standing in front of a sign that is roughly the same size as her. The woman has dark skin and long, straight dark hair. Her arms are crossed and she is smiling, wearing a white shirt and a black sweater. The sign behind her says “Carbon Fiber Technology Facility” at the top and has 3 large photos of a plane flying, a car’s rear headlight, and a wind turbine in a large field. At the bottom of the sign is a large logo for Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

President Biden named Dr. Merlin Theodore as one of eight new appointees to serve on the National Science Board in a January announcement. Dr. Theodore is director of the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF), an AMMTO-supported incubator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In this role, she oversees material research efforts and works with industry to overcome the barriers associated with advanced manufacturing. She has authored more than 30 open literature publications, holds multiple U.S. patents, and has received numerous awards. Everyone at AMMTO is proud and inspired to see Dr. Theodore’s dedication, proficiency, and expertise recognized with this honor and offers her congratulations on this appointment.

NREL develops systematic framework to compare performance of plastics recycling approaches

A new peer-reviewed publication from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) examines the benefits and trade-offs of differing methods for plastic recycling. Researchers with the BOTTLE Consortium, co-sponsored by AMMTO and the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), compared various technologies for closed-loop recycling, factoring in both technical, economic and environmental metrics. Only a fraction of plastics are recycled, and it is believed that determining the best way to reuse these materials may lead to greater adoption of recycling and reduced plastic waste, benefiting AMMTO’s focus on a circular economy and manufacturing sustainability, advancing decarbonization in manufacturing sector and American industry at large. This framework, paired with our recently released Strategy for Plastics Innovation, will help to inform our immediate goals for plastics reuse as well as our larger strategy for Circular Economy technologies and systems. Find the full report here.

Commercializing the Aluminum-Cerium Alloy: A Critical Materials Success Story

(6) A photograph of six men wearing hard hats and orange safety vests. The men are standing on two platforms on either side of a small stream. Between the two platforms, a bridge of metal is being constructed. Two men are kneeling on top of this bridge, actively constructing it.

The clean energy transition depends on critical materials like rare earth elements (REEs) to power wind-turbines, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies, materials, and processes. One REE, Cerium, is abundantly found, but underutilized. The Critical Materials Institute, with the support of AMMTO, paired cerium with aluminum to create Aluminum Cerium (Al-Ce) alloys with tailored-properties that unlock new applications for the REE. Discovering new ways to use REEs will shore up market demand and create more value from domestic rare-earth mining operations as we work to strengthen and solidify domestic REE supply chains. Read more about CMI’s recent innovation here.

Manufacturers Take Note: New Modeling Tool Simulates Supply Chains

DOE has released a new and innovative tool to help Americans manufacturers and researchers navigate and customize NREL’s free Material Flows Through Industrial (MFI) Tool. The MFI Tool models the raw material inputs needed across the full supply chain from resource extraction through final assembly in order. DOE’s new MFI Data Extractor takes industry-average energy and emissions data across supply chain inputs and enables users to build custom scenarios to help them compare the energy and emissions impacts of different materials in the supply chain quickly extract embodied energy and emissions data from any material or product available in the MFI Tool. 

Events

DOE is heading to Toronto in March!

AMMTO's Critical Materials team will be attending the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2023 convention in Toronto. The annual convention brings together people, companies, and organizations connected to mineral exploration from around the world. AMMTO team members will join representatives from DOE’s Offices of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Office (FECM) and International Affairs (IA) at the Department of Energy’s booth to exhibit and share our department-wide carbon management efforts. 

PDAC 2023 is expected to draw up to 30,000 attendees from more than 130 countries. If you are planning on attending, come say hello.

Ongoing 'Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing' Workshop Series

DOE is sponsoring a series of workshops, organized and hosted by the National Academies for Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in Washington D.C., that will inform the development of a national plan for smart manufacturing. New technologies will impact industry, government, and the American workforce, and these three workshops will explore that impact. The events will focus on the state of the art in smart manufacturing technology; workforce, education and training needs; and the broader impacts for the U.S. economy and national competitiveness. Attendees can take part in person or online and webinar recordings are available for those who cannot attend the live event. Registration and further information can be found here.

REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference

(4) The words “Register today” are in bright blue and white letters in the middle of a dark blue background. Underneath this text is smaller white text that reads “March 20-21, 2023 Washington D.C.” The logos for the REMADE Institute, the Ellen McArthur Foundation, and the US Department of Energy are included below this text. On the left of this graphic is a large circular graphic above the words “REMADE Circular Economy Summit Tech Summit and Conference.

Registration is now open for the REMADE Institute’s Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference, March 20-21, 2023, at the National Academies for Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). The event will bring together, for the first time, all aspects of the Circular Economy into one unified, in-depth, multidisciplinary, action-based scientific conference and national thought leadership event. The REMADE Institute is one of DOE’s six Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. The Conference is open to members, non-members, and university students from the U.S. and around the world. Click here to learn more and register.

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We’ll be back next month with more manufacturing moments. Until then, you can forward this newsletter to a friend and don’t forget to tell them to subscribe here!