Developing Technologies for Advancement of Associated Geologic Storage in Basinal Geo-Laboratories | DE FOA 0001829

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001829

The grant opportunity "Developing Technologies for Advancement of Associated Geologic Storage in Basinal Geo-Laboratories" (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0001829) is a U.S. Department of Energy initiative administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). It sits within DOE's Carbon Storage Program, specifically the Storage Infrastructure Technology Area, and it is aimed at pushing carbon dioxide (CO2) geologic storage from promising concept to dependable, field-proven practice across a wide range of U.S. geologic settings. The central idea is to support field laboratory work in real basins and storage complexes so that storage performance, monitoring approaches, and risk management strategies are validated under the messy, variable conditions that exist outside of models and controlled experiments.

A major focus of this opportunity is on regional characterization and field validation testing. In practical terms, that means collecting and interpreting geologic and geophysical data to better understand candidate storage formations and the rocks that contain them, and then using field tests to prove that the technologies and methods being developed actually work as intended. DOE is emphasizing demonstration across different types of storage complexes and geologic environments, recognizing that formations differ significantly by region, depth, rock type, faulting, fluid chemistry, pressure regimes, and other factors that can affect CO2 injectivity, containment, and long-term stability. The program is also framed around "basinal geo-laboratories," which signals an interest in basin-scale learning environments where teams can integrate geology, engineering, monitoring, and modeling in a coordinated way.

The motivation for the funding is that, while previous DOE-supported field laboratory projects have produced meaningful advances in carbon storage technology, there are still important gaps in experience and knowledge. Those gaps are largely tied to the diversity of real-world geologic settings across the United States, including both onshore and offshore regions. A solution or monitoring workflow that performs well in one basin may not translate cleanly to another, so DOE is seeking projects that directly address these differences and reduce uncertainty. By filling those gaps, the agency is trying to enable "value-added" geologic storage, meaning storage that is not only technically feasible but also more reliable, more verifiable, more cost-effective, and easier to permit and scale.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument. Cooperative agreements typically imply substantial involvement by DOE/NETL during the project, such as collaborative planning, technical input, and active project oversight, rather than a hands-off grant relationship. The activity category is Energy, and the associated CFDA number is 81.089, which corresponds to DOE financial assistance programs in this area. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any clarifications that may appear in the full announcement's eligibility section, which often includes details about teaming requirements, cost share expectations, or restrictions on certain applicant types.

Financially, the award ceiling is listed as $3,500,000, and DOE expected to make around four awards under this announcement. The FOA was created on April 3, 2018, with an original closing date of June 1, 2018. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an effort to strengthen the technical foundation for safe, permanent CO2 storage by funding field-centered research that tests and validates storage technologies in diverse basin settings, reducing uncertainties that can limit deployment and helping build confidence in storage performance over the long term.

• The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Developing Technologies for Advancement of Associated Geologic Storage in Basinal Geo-Laboratories" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 03, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 01, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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