The solicitations include up to $65 million over three years to fund continued research and development on fuel cell components, such as catalysts and membrane electrode assemblies, with the goal of reducing costs, improving durability and increasing the efficiency of fuel cell systems.
The funding also includes up to $9 million for companies to conduct independent cost analyses that will assess the progress of the technology under current research initiatives and help guide future fuel cell and hydrogen storage research and development efforts.
”The investments we’re making today will help advance fuel cell technology in the United States," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
“This is part of a broad effort to create American jobs, reduce carbon pollution and help ensure the US stays competitive in the growing clean energy economy,” he said.
Fuel cells use the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity or heat with minimal by-products, primarily water. They can produce power in large stationary systems such as buildings or for vehicles such as commercial forklifts, buses and automobiles.
The DOE will be funding research and development initiatives related to fuel cell system balance-of-plant components, fuel processors, and fuel cell stack components such as catalysts and membranes, as well as innovative concepts for both low and high temperature systems to help meet commercial viability targets in terms of cost and performance.
The agency is anticipating that applicants will include teams of university, industry and national laboratory participants. Applications for the $65 million research and development program are due by 3 March 2011.
The cost analysis funding opportunity will help to determine the economic viability and technical progress of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies for stationary, transportation, and emerging market applications, including light duty vehicles, forklifts, buses and stationary power plants, as well as hydrogen storage systems.
Under the program, the grantees will be expected to conduct life cycle cost analyses for different manufacturing volumes to help gauge the near-term, low-volume market viability for these technologies, along with their long-term potential. Applications for the cost analysis solicitation are due on 18 February 2011.
Funding for both programs is subject to Congressional appropriations.
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