Request for Information (RFI) on Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0000671 for Chemo/electro-autotrophic Synthesis of Liquid Fuels at Scale

(US Department of Energy) The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible development of future chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production programs. Information obtained may be used by ARPA-E on a non-attribution basis. This RFI provides biofuel and bioproducts stakeholders with an opportunity to contribute views and opinions regarding the requirements to transition bench-scale (e.g. microgram–milligram L-1h-1 production rates) chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production technologies to efficient and cost competitive integrated chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production platforms (e.g. multi-gram L-1h-1 production rates at scale). Views are sought regarding various microbial systems, energy assimilation strategies, bioreactor development, scaling parameters, fuel/fuel precursor products, and cost of fuel/fuel precursor products, overall cost of program development and path to market adoption.

The information you provide may be used by ARPA-E in support of program planning. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS NOTICE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) AND NO FOA EXISTS AT THIS TIME.

...All biofuels approaches – both those currently deployed and various advanced approaches – suffer from poor solar energy capture and transduction to fixed carbon. Both plants and algae rely on photosynthesis to capture and use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to support growth and metabolism. Yet the efficiency to harness and convert energy from solar photons into energy stored in harvestable biomass under field conditions by plants and algae is estimated to be less than 2%. The inherent inefficiency of photosynthesis, coupled with the spatial, water and nutrient requirements for plant or algae biofuel systems, present challenges for deployment of these approaches at scale.

To address these challenges, ARPA-E created the “Electrofuels” applied research program to encourage development of new biological routes to fuels that bypass the limits of photosynthesis. Specifically, the Electrofuels program relies on the biology of chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms. These microorganisms derive energy from the oxidation of various reduced inorganic compounds, such as hydrogen, reduced metals, and, in the case of “electrotrophs,” electrons, which live on direct electrical current. As autotrophs, these organisms can use inorganic carbon as the only carbon source and thus are capable of growth and production in the complete absence of either sunlight or reduced carbon. Prior to creation of the Electrofuels program, no concerted effort had been made to investigate the potential for chemolithoautotrophy as a platform for biofuel production.
Purpose and Need for Information: The purpose of this RFI is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible development of future chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production programs. Information obtained may be used by ARPA-E on a non-attribution basis. This RFI provides biofuel and bioproducts stakeholders with an opportunity to contribute views and opinions regarding the requirements to transition bench-scale (e.g. microgram–milligram L-1h-1 production rates) chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production technologies to efficient and cost competitive integrated chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production platforms (e.g. multi-gram L-1h-1 production rates at scale). Views are sought regarding various microbial systems, energy assimilation strategies, bioreactor development, scaling parameters, fuel/fuel precursor products, and cost of fuel/fuel precursor products, overall cost of program development and path to market adoption. ARPA-E may determine as the result of this RFI and other considerations to issue a formal FOA for this area. If a formal FOA is issued, it will be issued under a new FOA number. No FOA exists at this time and ARPA-E reserves the right to never issue a FOA in this area. READ MORE