Morgantown Energy Technology Center; Partnering Opportunity Announcement

U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), Morgantown Energy Technology Center.

Notice of Partnering Opportunity Announcement.

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The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) is offering partnering opportunities with United States companies in the area of sorbent development/commercialization. Many different vehicles for partnering may be considered, including licensing and/or Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). CRADAs will probably be limited to the area of sorbent development/commercialization for hot gas desulfurization. CRADAs offer private sector participants the opportunity to share in outcomes of development activities and also offer the option for protection of CRADA-generated data. These agreements do require the participant to share in the cost and do not involve direct METC funding of the participant's activities. METC desires to work with a partner for the purpose of bringing a supported/matrixed hot gas desulfurization sorbent to large-scale commercialization. This sorbent, designated as the TL sorbent, has been prepared and tested at the laboratory scale at METC. The TL sorbent shows good sulfur capacity, high sulfur removal efficiency, and long- term physical durability. It requires no activation or pretreatment step, which is an improvement over previously developed sorbents. A provisional patent application has been submitted for this METC- developed sorbent. The overall objective of this development effort has been to qualify sorbents for demonstration in commercial-scale projects, which are demonstrating Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technologies. The utility industry and METC agree that IGCC technologies being demonstrated under the Clean Coal Technology program will play a significant role in supplying electricity during the next century. As the markets for such technologies expand to replace today's older plants and to supply demand for additional electricity, the sales of cost-effective, hot gas sulfur removal sorbents and related process systems promise to be substantial. The

proposed partnering opportunity is expected to accelerate commercial availability of improved, lower-cost, hot gas desulfurization sorbents for fixed/moving bed and fluidized bed/transport reactors. The METC- developed TL sorbent is likely to have applications in other fields of use such as the chemical and petroleum industries.

Proposals require the participant to provide a description of the preferred partnering vehicle, and the scope of work that the participant is proposing to perform or supply. Qualifications of the participant or members of its development team for catalyst/sorbent manufacturing and marketing should be provided. Elaborate proposals are not necessary. It is recommended that the proposal not exceed 5 pages. Proposals received by July 31, 1996, will be evaluated for proper qualifications. Any or all proposals may be accepted or rejected as deemed to be in the best interest of the Government. With current budget uncertainties, government participation in the partnership may be limited. The following criteria will be used to review the proposals and select the partner(s). Qualifications of the participant or members of its development team may address the criteria. 1. Working knowledge and access to manufacturing capability for catalyst carriers and matrix materials as represented by the variety of products produced, quantities of products sold per year, etc. 2. Proven success in marketing catalysts and/or sorbents in specified fields as represented by the size of the marketing/sales department, market share, etc. 3. Research and development capability for continued product improvement as represented by facilities, staff, equipment, etc.

Parties interested in this partnering opportunity are requested to submit a proposal by July 31, 1996, to: Dr. Rodney J. Anderson, Technology Transfer Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, P.O. Box 880, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown, WV 26507-0880, Telephone: 304-285-4709. Additional information is available on METC's Internet Homepage at www.metc.doe.gov or by contacting Dr. Rodney J. Anderson at the above address or phone number.