Project Selections for Notice of Funding Opportunity DE-FOA-0003606, Improving Efficiency, Reliability, and Flexibility of Coal-Based Power Plants (Phase 1 - Pre-FEED)
Topic Area 1 — Development and Implementation of Advanced Wastewater Systems
Demonstration of Innovative Wastewater Treatment Solutions in Coal Power Plants and address Reliability Emergency to Uniquely Position for Data Centers— Baker Hughes Energy Transition LLC (Houston, Texas) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study for an integrated and cost-effective wastewater treatment and conversion system for coal-fired power plants. The goal is to position coal-fired power plants as clean, reliable, and low-cost energy solutions for data centers by adapting and demonstrating a commercial wastewater treatment technology. This involves utilizing captured carbon dioxide to treat wastewater from coal-fired power plants that could, in turn, enable cooling of data centers in addition to recovery and conversion of value-added products.
DOE Funding: $396,667
Non-DOE Funding: $100,442
Total Value: $497,109
Waste Heat-Powered Thermal Evaporation for Zero Liquid Discharge of FGD Wastewater at Operating Coal Plants — Heartland Water Technology Inc. (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study for a waste heat-powered thermal evaporation system integrated with carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) for flue gas desulfurization wastewater management. The project targets an affordable, scalable pathway to zero liquid discharge by integrating waste heat utilization, water recovery, CCUS integration evaluation and value recovery from concentrated byproducts.
DOE Funding: $400,000
Non-DOE Funding: $100,010
Total Value: $500,010
Advanced Acoustic-Crystallization Technology for High-Purity Magnesium Hydroxide Production and Mercury Stabilization in Gas/Coal Co-Fired Power Plants — University of Kentucky Research Foundation (Lexington, Kentucky) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study for an integrated process consisting of a staged-pH adjustment, crystallizer-guided, acoustic-purification system that transforms conventional physico-chemical steps in the zero liquid discharge into a selective, high purity magnesium hydroxide recovery process with minimal additional equipment. The final recovery would achieve greater than or equal to 97-99 weight % purity and reduced chloride content, providing performance benefits for wet flue gas desulfurization and wet electrostatic precipitator reuse or industrial-grade sale.
DOE Funding: $400,000
Non-DOE Funding: $100,000
Total Value: $500,000
Thermal Bottom Ash Drying to Reduce Water Burdens and Facilitate Critical Mineral Recovery and CCUS Integration — University of Wyoming (Laramie, Wyoming) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study to evaluate the technical, environmental, and economic viability of applying advanced thermal drying technology to bottom ash transport water at coal-based power plants to improve water efficiency and reduce the volume of wastewater requiring management. The approach converts wet bottom ash slurry into a dewatered solids stream while recovering water as a condensate that may be reused within the plant, such as for CCUS, or managed with reduced treatment requirements. By reducing moisture content prior to storage or disposal, the approach also improves ash handling characteristics and can facilitate ash utilization or critical mineral recovery.
DOE Funding: $399,931
Non-DOE Funding: $99,983
Total Value: $499,914
Topic Area 2 — Engineering and Implementation of Dual Firing Retrofits
Modernizing the Merom Coal-Fired Power Station: Dual Firing Project — Hallador Power Company LLC (Terre Haute, Indiana) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study for a natural gas dual-firing retrofit the Merom Generating Station. Dual firing allows plants to switch between fuels based on cost or availability.
DOE Funding: $399,288
Non-DOE Funding: $100,000
Total Value: $499,288
Topic Area 3 — Development and Testing of Natural Gas Co-Firing Systems
Evaluation and Mitigation of Natural Gas Co-firing Impacts on Flue Gas Desulfurization and Zero Liquid Discharge Process Operations and Performance at an Existing Coal-fired Power Plant — East Kentucky Power Cooperative Inc. (Winchester, Kentucky) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study to retrofit Spurlock Units 1-2 coal-fired electricity generating units with natural gas co-firing to determine effects on air pollution control devices and evaluate impacts of natural gas co-firing on mercury emission controls and the zero liquid discharge process.
DOE Funding: $400,000
Non-DOE Funding: $100,000
Total Value: $500,000
Modernizing the Merom Coal-Fired Power Station: Co-Firing Project — Hallador Power Company LLC (Terra Haute, Indiana) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study for a natural gas co-firing retrofit at the Merom Generating Station. Co-firing would enable the generating station to simultaneously co-fire coal and natural gas to improve operational flexibility while reducing pollutant emissions.
DOE Funding: $399,288
Non-DOE Funding: $100,000
Total Value: $499,288
Retrofitting City Water, Light & Power with a Coal and Natural Gas Co-Firing System — The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Champaign, Illinois) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study to implement a cost-effective technology to retrofit the coal-fired boiler Dallman Unit 4 at City Water, Light & Power to enable coal and natural gas co-firing. The pre-FEED phase would evaluate plans to implement hardware modifications in the burners and develop innovative controls, enabling the unit to handle up to 40% natural gas heat input. The two technology configurations proposed are high-capacity igniters or warm-up guns and the partial conversion of burners to dual-fuel operation.
DOE Funding: $400,000
Non-DOE Funding: $100,000
Total Value: $500,000
Enhancing U.S. Grid Reliability and Fuel Flexibility Through Co-Fired Burner Retrofits with Zolo’s Multi-Zone In-Furnace Monitoring and Supervisory Combustion Control — Zolo Carbon Smartech Inc. (Louisville, Colorado) plans to conduct a pre-Front-End Engineering Design study to develop and demonstrate an integrated coal-natural gas co-firing retrofit. Specifically, the Phase I project aims to evaluate the co-firing operating envelope and improve transient stability while maintaining operability, emissions compliance, and acceptable heat-rate impacts. The design will target stable operations across a 20-50% natural gas heat input range and will deliver a replication package for broad utility adoption.
DOE Funding: $400,000
Non-DOE Funding: $329,079
Total Value: $729,079