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Feds hand out $1.17 million in energy grants to UAF researchers Dollars target remote power and emerging fossil energy projects; almost half of this year’s funding will go to fuel cell projects Patricia Jones PNA Contributing Writer
Eight remote power and fossil energy projects proposed by University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers have been awarded a total of $1.17 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy.
The federal money goes to help fund research in a variety of areas, ranging from determining the optimal use of a conventional energy source — coal — to continued laboratory development of cutting edge technology involved in tapping an unconventional energy resource—gas hydrates.
Two separate fuel cell projects received nearly half of the funding, for a total of nearly $500,000.
“What is in the work plan for fuel cells reflects the local interest,” said Brent Sheets, the Arctic Energy office representative for the National Energy Technology Lab, part of DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy.
His office allocated the DOE funds to these eight research projects through a competitive proposal process.
Cash or in-kind contributions required All of the projects involve some sort of local match or cost share funds, whether it comes in the form of cash or in-kind contributions such as personnel, equipment or use of existing facilities.
“In a nut shell, we want to see if these paper theories work,” Sheets said.
Funding for the eight selected projects was awarded late in September, he said, except for one project, where researchers and the agency are finalizing details of the work plan. Funding for that project, which involves injection of carbon dioxide emissions to aid in recovery of gas hydrates, should be awarded in the next week or two, Sheets said. Last year, through the Arctic Energy Office, about $1 million was awarded to four projects, Sheets said.
“Our intention is to repeat the process in 2003,” he said. “I have no idea what the appropriation committees are going to do, but I certainly hope they fund this at comparable levels.”
Rather than term the federal assistance as a grant, the awards are considered cooperative agreements, awarded on a contract with the research team.
“That gives the government more flexibility in directing the work that is done,” Sheets said. “With a grant, the researchers do what they’re doing and produce a report at the end. With cooperative agreements, researchers produce quarterly reports and then we can make adjustments to the research.
“It allows government scientists to be more involved,” he added.
Competitive process used in funding allocation The funding process started nearly a year ago, with a UAF-issued solicitation for one-page project proposals in one of two categories, remote energy and fossil fuels.
Sheets said 66 project ideas were put forward, and of those, the top 12 for each of the two categories were requested to develop a two-page proposal. Those project researchers also made a 15-minute presentation before a panel made up of industry representatives. That advisory panel then evaluated and ranked those projects into a final listing.
The top project of that selection received full funding, and so on, Sheets said. “We go down the list until we run out of money,” he said. “Basically we funded as many projects as we could until we ran out of money.”
Federal funds went to every project recommended by the industry board, Sheets added.
Projects that involve a multi-year program will be required to re-compete for funding, Sheets said.
“They go into it knowing the funding is in annual increments, subject to its score from the industry panel,” he said. “Even though they have to compete each year, because they have results to show the industry panels … it appears to favor them.”
Using such an industry panel to help select research projects unites the two entities in the development of cutting edge energy technology.
“This is the (funding allocation) process we have asked the university to consider and they have adopted it,” Sheets said. “It provides incentives to bring the university and industry together.”
Two types of fuel cells Almost half of this year’s funding will go to fuel cell projects proposed by UAF researchers. Both a solid oxide fuel cell and a methanol-fired fuel cell, each on the cutting edge of this emerging technology, will be tested in UAF laboratory settings.
Each of those projects received more than $240,000 from DOE.
“The level of funding reflects enthusiasm of some of the panel members for fuel cells,” said Dennis Witmer, director of the Arctic Energy Technology Development Laboratory at UAF. “The university does have a good reputation of working in fuel cells in the past.”
A research project that will test the performance of low rank coal mined from Usibelli Coal Mine and burned in Golden Valley Electric Association’s Healy plant was awarded $53,314.
North Slope oil producers are assisting UAF researchers with a study of tundra ponds that are tapped for use in ice road construction. (See story in Nov. 3 PNA.) This year’s funding from DOE will be $200,000 for that project, which is planned to include three years of water monitoring and analysis. With a $150,000 funding award, UA researchers will conduct laboratory work looking at the injection of carbon dioxide emissions in the recovery of methane from gas hydrates reservoirs. (See story in next week’s PNA.)
Finally, remaining projects allocate about $280,000 to remote and village power system projects, including development and testing of a tilt-up guyed tower and foundation system for a wind turbine in Kotzebue.
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