The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) has opened a call for proposals from DOE National Laboratories, inviting research and development projects focused on geothermal and critical materials.
Full applications for these projects are due by May 20, 2024, with expected award issuance by September 2024. The total funding available for all projects solicited in this Lab Call amounts to approximately USD 5 million annually, pending applications and program direction decisions.
The call for proposals is segmented into three topic areas, with only one proposal allowed per area.
Topic Area 1 centers on the analysis of rocks from deep and shallow regions in the Salton Sea geothermal area. The aim is to investigate how changes in temperature affect the mineral hosts of lithium and to understand the evolution of lithium quantities with depth.
Topic Area 2 seeks to evaluate novel drilling technology improvements in supercritical conditions, focusing on increasing access to geothermal reservoirs and stabilizing lithium production over time.
Topic Area 3 focuses on characterizing critical materials in geothermal resource areas beyond the Salton Sea region. This includes assessing lithium presence, reservoir volume, concentration factors, production decline rates, and environmental impacts.
GTO is collaborating with DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management to consider additional geothermal resource areas, such as the Smackover KGRA and related oil and gas production areas, as well as other regions across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, which have the potential to produce lithium and other critical minerals.
The research and development activities funded under this lab call align with the government’s efforts to combat the climate crisis by promoting innovation in clean energy technologies. Specifically, the initiative supports the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on America’s Supply Chain, aiming to strengthen the resilience of America’s supply chains by diversifying and facilitating greater domestic production of critical minerals.
