US Energy Department to support MHK industry with another FOA

 
US Department of Energy (DoE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for projects supporting the marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) industry.

The FOA, to be issued on behalf of Wind and Water Power Technologies Office, is anticipated to include the following areas of interest:

1. Advanced Technology Integration and Demonstration – the aim is to put MHK systems on a pathway to produce energy at a cost that is competitive with local hurdle rates of 15 ¢/kWh by 2030. This will be accomplished by supporting wave and current energy (tidal, ocean, and river) projects that integrate advanced MHK hardware and software technologies into existing system designs.
2. Innovation, Testing, and Validation of MHK Environmental Monitoring Instrumentation Performance – this topic area will support the innovation, testing, and validation of environmental monitoring technologies and the associated data-processing software in field environments. It is designed to produce technologies at an advanced-technology readiness level (TRL), fit-for-purpose, cost-effective tools ready to be used for environmental monitoring by the MHK community.

A total of $22 million is expected to be awarded through multiple financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements, it is stated in a notice of intent released by US DoE.

For the first topic area, EERE anticipates funding up to three awards at $5.35 million each, for a total of $16.05 million.

EERE intends to grant up to 7 funding awards for the second topic area ranging from $750,000 to $1.1 million, for a total of $5.95 million.

EERE plans to issue the FOA on or about March 1, 2016, US DoE’s notice of intent reads.