The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), issued Notices of Intent to fund two programs that will advance carbon capture demonstration projects and expand regional pipeline networks to transport carbon dioxide (CO2) for permanent geologic storage or for conversion into valued end uses, such as construction materials (announced July 13). 

The two programs – the Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program and the Carbon Dioxide Transport/Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Program – are funded by a more than $2.6 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

“To meet President Biden’s climate goals, we have to rapidly decarbonize our power generation and heavy industries – such as steel production – that are essential to the clean energy transition,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enables DOE to invest in carbon capture, conversion and storage technologies that play essential roles in the development and deployment of clean energy.” 

Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program Notice of Intent 
 
The $2.54 billion Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program will focus on integrated carbon capture, transport, and storage technologies and infrastructure that can be readily replicated and deployed at fossil energy power plants and major industrial sources of CO2, such as cement, pulp and paper, iron and steel, and certain types of chemical production facilities.  
 
Selected projects will address technical, environmental, permitting, and financing challenges for commercial deployment. Projects will be advanced in multiple phases with a competitive down-selection between Phase 1 and Phase 2. 

In the first phase, front-end engineering design studies will be completed in parallel with National Environmental Policy Act and other permitting compliance. Phases 2-4 call for the detailed design, construction, and operation of six facilities using integrated carbon capture and storage demonstration systems. These demonstration systems will be required to meet specific project goals including the demonstration of at least 95% carbon capture efficiency and verification of secure geologic carbon storage.   

More information on the Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Notice of Intent can be found here. A funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will follow in the coming months. 

Carbon Dioxide Transport/Front-End Engineering Design Program Notice of Intent  

The $100 million Carbon Dioxide Transport/Front-End Engineering Design Program will design regional carbon dioxide pipeline systems to safely transport CO2 from key sources to centralized locations. Projects will expand DOE’s knowledge of carbon transport costs, transport network configurations, and technical and commercial considerations to support the country’s broader efforts to develop and deploy carbon capture and carbon dioxide removal technologies, carbon conversion, and storage at fully commercial scale.  

DOE is also working closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to incorporate their safety guidance into DOE’s research, development, demonstration, and deployment portfolio for CO2 pipelines. 

More information on the Carbon Dioxide Transport/Front-End Engineering Design Program Notice of Intent can be found here.