DOE Announces National Laboratory Funding Opportunity to Support Critical Materials of Geothermal Energy
Spodumene, source of the critical mineral lithium (via USGS)
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) is issuing a call for DOE national laboratories to pursue research and development to directly aid in advancing and developing U.S. critical material supply chains.
The Lab Call is divided into three topic areas. Only one proposal per topic area can be submitted.
Topic Area 1 – Analysis on deep and shallow rocks in the Salton Sea geothermal area
This topic area focuses on analysis on rocks from deeper (hotter) and shallower (cooler) in the Salton Sea geothermal area to test whether the mineral hosts of lithium shifts with changes in temperature and to determine how quantities of lithium evolve with depth. Projects will develop a database of geochemical and thermodynamic properties of typical rock in the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) to better understand how mineral host rocks within a typical geothermal reservoir can be chemically or thermally altered to breakdown and release lithium and other potential critical minerals.
Topic Area 2 – Evaluation of novel drilling technology improvements in supercritical conditions
This topic area aims to increase access to the geothermal reservoir and stabilize lithium production over time by evaluating novel drilling technology improvements to fully access the geothermal resource. Applicants will develop an analysis of drilling materials specific to supercritical conditions like those in the Salton Sea KGRA.
Topic Area 3 – Characterization of critical materials in geothermal resource areas
This topic area focuses on characterizing lithium and critical materials in geothermal resource areas beyond the Salton Sea region. Projects will assess lithium presence, reservoir volume, concentration factors, production decline rates, and environmental impacts. GTO is partnering with DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to consider the Smackover KGRA and related oil and gas production areas (Topic Area 3a) and other KGRAs that have the potential to or are currently producing lithium and other critical minerals in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii (Topic Area 3b). Applicants to Topic Area 3 must specify whether they are applying to Topic Area 3a or Topic Area 3b.
Read the Call for Proposals
All DOE/National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and all national laboratories are eligible to submit proposals to this lab call as prime recipients unless specified otherwise.
Applications are due May 20, 2024. All communications, including applications, must be submitted to GeoCriticalMinerals@ee.doe.gov.
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