Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $3 million solicitation for projects that will help manufacturers improve the efficiency of their operations and shrink their carbon footprint through high-performance computing (HPC).   

Through the High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) initiative solicitation, selected teams will work with the world’s most powerful supercomputers and the U.S. National Laboratory experts who operate them to solve today’s toughest manufacturing challenges. The advanced modeling, simulation, and data analysis capabilities of these supercomputers will help manufacturers identify the most effective ways to improve performance, increase energy efficiency, and cut emissions across the industrial sector. 

“By harnessing the power of supercomputing technology at our National Labs, manufacturers can both reduce their emissions and increase their efficiency, innovation, and productivity,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “We are eager to work with our manufacturing partners to overcome the most difficult challenges to industry-wide decarbonization.” 

The HPC4Mfg program solicitation seeks industry partners interested in using HPC resources to make advancements in the following areas: 

  • Improvements in manufacturing processes which result in significant national energy savings and carbon emissions reductions. This includes process improvements in industries with high decarbonization potential, such as paper and pulp, primary metal manufacturing, water and wastewater, glass, cement, and chemical industries.
  • Efficiency improvements and carbon emissions reduction in energy conversion and storage technologies, including improvements in waste heat recovery for thermal energy storage systems.
  • Reductions in CO2 or CO2-equivalent emissions. For example, improving the performance of the carbon-capture process and modifying fossil-fuel systems to accept low-to-zero carbon fuels.  

This solicitation encourages applicants to partner with a diverse range of universities, community colleges, and non-profit organizations, especially those in disadvantaged and underserved communities, to ensure the equitable use and benefits of HPC National Laboratory resources and technologies.  

DOE will award up to $300,000 to selected projects to support computing cycles and work performed by the National Laboratory. All DOE National Laboratories are eligible to participate. The industry partner must provide a participant contribution of at least 20% of the total project funding.  

View the full solicitation here. Concept papers will be due on June 7, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. ET.  

HPC4Mfg is funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office. HPC4Mfg is a subprogram of the High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) initiative. HPC4EI is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. To learn more, visit the HPC4EI website.