Feb 14 -- The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) seeks input on priority areas that will advance domestic manufacturing and recycling of clean hydrogen technologies, including fuel cells, storage equipment, and other hydrogen related components as specified below; and on priority areas that will advance electrolyzer technologies for affordable clean hydrogen production, in alignment with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the mission of DOE’s Hydrogen Energy Earthshot to reach the goal of $1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade (“1 1 1”).
This RFI was developed in coordination with the Advanced Manufacturing Office. This RFI is issued to obtain feedback on the status of and opportunities for technologies that support goals in BIL section 40314, amending the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT). The BIL added a new section 815 on clean hydrogen manufacturing and recycling research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) and a new section 816 for the
establishment of the Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program to EPACT. The EPACT Sec. 815 activities are grouped into a Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing Initiative (815a) focused on enhancing domestic manufacturing of clean hydrogen use, storage, and related equipment and a Clean Hydrogen Technology Recycling RD&D Program (815b) that covers recycling of equipment for clean hydrogen processing, delivery, storage, and use, including fuel cells. The Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program in section 816 expands on DOE’s existing, comprehensive Program on electrolysis and is a research, development, demonstration, commercialization, and deployment program aimed at improving efficiency, increasing durability, and reducing capital costs of electrolyzers, thus facilitating the commercialization of clean hydrogen electrolyzer technology.
The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback and other guidance from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, community groups, labor unions, energy users, environmental justice organizations, economic development organizations, and other stakeholders regarding the clean hydrogen manufacturing, recycling, and electrolysis research, development, and demonstration topics/questions listed below, as well as any critical barriers and activities that are relevant but not directly addressed in this RFI. This RFI focuses on hydrogen and related technologies, such as electrolyzers, fuel cells, and storage tanks. These technologies can play a key role in decarbonizing multiple sectors and will support the Biden Administration’s goal to achieve a carbon-free electric grid by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by 2050.
The RFI is divided into three parts: Part I covers topics relating to the Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing Initiative and Clean Hydrogen Recycling RD&D Program, Part II covers topics related to the Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program, and Part III covers topics relating to new Buy American and related employment considerations that are broader in scope. Respondents are welcome to provide responses to all parts of the RFI and may answer as many or as few questions as they wish.
RFI:
https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaIda1255029-22c4-4c18-9e90-356e92cbb795 and
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-03088