The Department of Energy (DOE), through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), intends to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the "Carbon Storage Technology Operations & Research" (CarbonSTORE) program. This forthcoming opportunity, expected in the first half of Fiscal Year 2025, aims to fund projects developing field laboratories for geologic carbon storage, leveraging the DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) Carbon Transport and Storage (CTS) Research and Development program.

CarbonSTORE will support geologic field laboratories, which will facilitate testing, validation, and demonstration of new carbon storage technologies at commercial scales. These initiatives align with the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which aims to advance commercial CCUS infrastructure as part of broader U.S. decarbonization goals and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The DOE anticipates that these field laboratories will be established at sites with existing infrastructure conducive to testing and scaling carbon storage solutions. Potential sites could include government-funded storage facilities, industrial acid gas injection sites, saltwater disposal wells, or enhanced oil recovery sites transitioning to carbon storage use.

Projects under CarbonSTORE will focus on fast-tracking the commercialization of technologies intended to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs associated with carbon storage. Key areas of interest are expected to include CO2 plume monitoring, geochemical and geophysical monitoring processes, well remediation, efficient pore space utilization, and mineralization techniques. These technologies should enable cost-effective, large-scale carbon storage operations that improve data collection, enhance technology development, and support operational advancements.

The NOFO, once issued, will provide detailed guidance on the application process and funding parameters. Currently, the DOE is not accepting applications or fielding questions related to this upcoming NOFO. Interested applicants are advised that details may be subject to change prior to the official NOFO release.