The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has issued a request for proposals for qualified partners to participate in cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) projects with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) national laboratories in support of the DOE’s H2@Scale initiative.
Through this CRADA call, DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) seeks to accelerate the development of hydrogen fueling technologies for medium- and heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles, address priority research and development (R&D) barriers to enabling hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines at scale, and increase industrial and stakeholder engagement in H2@Scale through investment and active participation in the associated projects.
H2@Scale is a DOE initiative that supports innovations to produce, store, transport and utilize hydrogen across multiple sectors. The intent of H2@Scale is for hydrogen to enable – rather than compete with – energy pathways across applications and sectors.
Up to $24 million in DOE funding is available for collaborative projects at national laboratories in two priority areas of R&D:
- Hydrogen fueling technologies for medium- and heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, compressors, dispensers, cryogenic pumps, analysis to inform fueling station design and heavy-duty fueling methods that can inform standards development organizations leading fueling protocol development.
- Technical barriers to hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines. Specific R&D priorities include materials compatibility, pipeline compressors, hydrogen combustion in end uses, technologies for separating hydrogen from blends downstream of injection, compatibility of blends with underground reservoirs, and techno-economic and life cycle analysis.
Selected projects must include one or more national laboratories and shall also include partners from one or more of the following: industry, universities, non-profits, institutes, codes and standards organizations, associations or other relevant stakeholders. Support from HFTO will fund the national laboratory services, staff time and facilities necessary to support each selected project.
Proposals are due by July 31, at 5 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
Photo: Hydrogen storage tanks
