DOE Announces $59 Million to Advance the National Clean Hydrogen Strategy

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December 20, 2023

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(U.S. Department of Energy) The Department of Energy (DOE) today released a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for up to $59 million to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of affordable clean-hydrogen technologies. Projects supported by this funding will reduce the cost and improve the performance of critical elements of hydrogen infrastructure, demonstrate innovative end-use applications for clean hydrogen, and streamline and improve processes essential to the efficient, timely, and equitable deployment of clean hydrogen technologies. Achieving these goals will support the vision embodied in the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap of affordable clean hydrogen for a net-zero carbon future and a sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy.

DOE's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) will administer this FOA, which focuses on: advancing fueling infrastructure for medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) vehicles and other heavy transportation applications; developing and demonstrating hydrogen-based zero-emissions equipment for seaport facilities; addressing key challenges to siting, permitting, and installation; and improving community engagement and outreach to support environmental justice (EJ) and ensure equitable deployment of clean hydrogen systems. By improving key technologies, spurring deployment, and helping industry achieve economies of scale, activities funded by this FOA will support and reinforce the long-term viability of DOE's Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) and other commercial-scale hydrogen installations. Activities to be funded by this FOA on permitting, siting, and EJ also align with key priorities of the Hydrogen Interagency Task Force as pursued by its "Infrastructure, Siting, and Permitting" working group and "Workforce, Equity, and Justice" crosscutting team.

This FOA will fund projects under the following topic areas:

Topic 1: Components for Hydrogen Fueling of Medium- and Heavy-Duty (MD/HD) Vehicles. This topic seeks proposals to develop advanced components that will enable gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen fueling at refueling stations for MD/HD hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Topic 2: Standardized Hydrogen Refueling Station of the Future. This topic seeks proposals to develop and demonstrate a low-cost, standardized, and replicable advanced hydrogen fueling station of the future—one that can meet the needs of commercial-scale MD/HD truck fueling.
Topic 3: Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Powered Port Equipment. This topic seeks proposals to design, develop, and demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell port applications, such as cargo-handling equipment or systems for providing shore power to docked vessels.
Topic 4: Enabling Permitting and Safety for Hydrogen Deployment. This topic seeks proposals to help determine the primary challenges to siting, permitting, and installation across the value chain from hydrogen production through end-use, and to help identify opportunities to address them.
Topic 5: Equitable Hydrogen Technology Community Engagement. This topic seeks proposals to improve the capacity of DOE and DOE-funded projects to conduct effective community-engagement activities. Funded projects will conduct direct engagement with a disadvantaged community to gain better understanding of their concerns and provide them with important information about hydrogen and related technologies, as well as develop lessons learned and best practices on Community Benefits Plans. This topic is being coordinated across offices within DOE, including Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Nuclear Energy, Environmental Justice and Equity, and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.

For all topic areas, HFTO envisions awarding financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements with periods of performance ranging from approximately two to four years. DOE encourages applicant teams that include stakeholders within academia, industry, and national laboratories across multiple technical disciplines. Teams are also encouraged to include representation from diverse entities such as minority-serving institutions.

DOE is compiling a teaming partner list to facilitate the formation of project teams for this FOA. This list will allow organizations that may wish to participate on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships. The list will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organizational information.

Learn more about this funding opportunity. READ MORE

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