The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory offering up to $80 million to establish a 10 MWe scale Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) facility for evaluating the supercritical CO2 power cycle, according to a March 15 Funding Opportunity Announcement. Supercritical CO2 technology offers potential efficiency and cost-of-electricity (COE) advantages over conventional steam Rankine cycles, the FOA explains.
“It is believed that in order to realize a COE advantage over large steam based Rankine cycles electric power generation applications (>100 MW), these cycles will require a turbine inlet temperature range of 600 – 760oC and higher cycle efficiencies; targeting 50 [percent],” according to the FOA.
Unfortunately, no commercially integrated sCO2 facility exists for higher temperature and high-efficiency system testing. For that reason, NETL is seeking applicants to develop a 10 MWe STEP facility that will “serve as an opportunity for industry and government to work together to develop and mature the technology at the pilot-scale to facilitate commercialization.”
The FOA seeks applicants delivering a complete plan to design, build, and operate the 10 MWe sCO2 Pilot Plant Test Facility. “The objectives of this project and facility will be to demonstrate the operability of the sCO2 power cycle, verify the performance of components (turbomachinery, recuperators, and compressors, etc.), demonstrate the potential for producing a lower cost of electricity in relevant applications, and demonstrate a potential for a thermodynamic cycle efficiency greater than 50 [percent],” the FOA explains.
Applications are due at grants.gov by May 17, 2016. DOE anticipates notifying the applicant selected for the award by July 2016 and making the award by September 2016.
