The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a call for proposals through the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) under the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF), with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The purpose of this call is to establish multi-laboratory consortia aimed at addressing barriers in the commercialization and deployment of industrial decarbonization technologies across three critical sectors: chemicals and refining, concrete and cement, and metals. These consortia will facilitate industry alignment, enabling scalable technology deployment that supports emissions reductions and enhances U.S. competitiveness in clean energy.

The call seeks proposals to create collaborative industry working groups that include a range of stakeholders, such as technology developers, facility owners, financiers, and communities. Each consortium will work within a specific industry sector to address challenges that impede the adoption of decarbonization technologies. Key areas of focus for each industry include standardizing emissions metrics, establishing guidelines for low-carbon product procurement, and creating frameworks to align domestic and international standards. The project emphasizes reducing both technical and non-technical barriers, such as market openness, regulatory challenges, and community acceptance, which may delay commercialization.

Funding will support three topic areas, with one project funded for each: chemicals and refining, concrete and cement, and metals (iron, steel, aluminum). Selected consortia will be responsible for gathering stakeholder input to produce recommendations, best practices, and tools for each sector. Deliverables will include landscape analyses, tools for techno-economic and life-cycle analysis, and databases to help end users understand available technologies and their benefits. Projects will culminate in widely disseminated recommendations and resources, including technical reports and best practices guides that stakeholders can implement independently.

The call invites applications from national laboratories with strong experience in the relevant industrial sectors and a track record of business engagement and stakeholder convening. Proposals must present a clear organizational structure, demonstrate the ability to foster cross-industry collaboration, and provide a plan for sustaining the working group beyond the DOE funding period. Labs are encouraged to incorporate cost-sharing, as required by TCF, and may apply for a waiver if justified. Collaboration with existing DOE initiatives, including the 2023 collaborative alignment lab calls for hydrogen and long-duration energy storage, is essential to avoid redundancy.

Each consortium is expected to develop sector-specific tools and resources tailored to overcome adoption challenges. For instance, the chemicals consortium might create carbon intensity evaluation frameworks, while the concrete consortium could focus on carbon sequestration verification for novel cement chemistries. The metals consortium, similarly, may work on harmonizing carbon intensity standards for products like steel and aluminum. Each consortium will convene industry cohorts and perform ongoing assessments to adapt strategies as industry needs evolve, fostering cross-communication and knowledge-sharing between sectors.

The submission deadline for proposals is October 14, 2024, with informational webinars and Q&A sessions planned to assist applicants. Projects selected for funding will enter negotiations by early FY2025, with implementation expected shortly thereafter. Proposals should outline the applicant’s expertise, industry alignment, and planned stakeholder engagement, and must align with goals set forth in DOE’s Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap and other federal guidelines.

This funding opportunity supports DOE’s larger mission to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 by fostering public-private partnerships that accelerate clean technology commercialization. By addressing the economic and logistical obstacles to industrial decarbonization, DOE aims to enable a rapid, market-driven transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.