Funding Amount: Up to $20,000,000
Open Date: May 3, 2018
Funding Number: DE-FOA-0001926

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $20 million to support research and development of integrated processes for the production of cost-competitive drop-in fuels and biopower.  Approximately 47% of each barrel of crude oil processed by U.S. petroleum refineries is converted to motor gasoline. Middle distillates comprise the second largest refinery cut (42%) and include diesel (on and off highway), aviation fuels, heating oil, marine, farm and other fuel markets. In 2016, the total U.S. consumption of distillate fuels across all markets was 61 billion gallons and kerosene-type jet fuels totaled 24 billion gallons.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) seeks projects to address systems engineering challenges related to the development and integration of processes to produce renewable drop-in biofuels, bioproducts and biopower from domestic biomass feedstocks and waste resources. The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) anticipates funding 5-11 awards for between $1 million and $3 million each.

This FOA has three topic areas:

Topic Area 1: Civil and Military Aviation Renewable Drop-In Fuels. DOE seeks applications that advance systems research and process integration of innovative pathways to produce high performance fuels suitable for use by the aviation sector with focus on high specific energy and cost competitiveness.

Topic Area 2: On- and Off-Road Renewable Diesel. DOE seeks applications that advance the state of knowledge of innovative pathways that can produce renewable diesel suitable for middle-distillate markets with a focus on cost at equivalent or improved performance.  This topic area focuses on the experimental development of technologies to produce “drop-in” biofuels that are compatible with existing fueling infrastructure and vehicles across a range of transportation modes supplied with diesel fuels.

Topic Area 3: Biomass, Biosolids, and Municipal Solid Waste to Energy. DOE seeks applications to make full and innovative use of biomass, municipally-derived biosolids, and sorted municipal solid waste (MSW) to advance the state-of-the-art in waste-to-energy conversion technology.  These feedstocks include, but are not limited to, forest residues, notably trees that have succumbed to environmental stresses, municipal sludge and biosolids; industrial, commercial, and residential organic wastes; fats, oils, and greases; yard trimmings; construction and demolition wastes; non-recyclable paper; and other organic components of sorted MSW. DOE seeks proposals to convert these resources into biopower and/or intermediates used to produce biopower.

Learn more about this funding opportunity and apply.  Letters of intent are due by May 30, 2018.  Full applications are due by June 27, 2018.

DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) supports early-stage R&D of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that make energy more affordable and strengthen the U.S. economy.