Mineral Recovery Phase II - Geothermal Concepts And Approaches To Validate Extraction | DE FOA 0001376

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001376

The Mineral Recovery Phase II - Geothermal Concepts And Approaches To Validate Extraction funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001376) is a U.S. Department of Energy effort, administered through the Golden Field Office, focused on making geothermal projects more economically attractive by adding a second revenue source: recovering valuable dissolved materials from the same hot fluids already being produced for power or heat. The notice also emphasizes that the announcement was modified (Modification 0001), and applicants are expected to review that updated version on the EERE eXCHANGE portal to ensure they are working from the current requirements and instructions.

At its core, the FOA is trying to push geothermal technology beyond electricity generation alone by validating practical ways to capture, concentrate, and purify high-value, critical, or strategic materials found in geothermal brines and other produced waters. The underlying idea is that geothermal fluids often carry dissolved minerals and elements that could be commercially useful if extraction can be done reliably and at reasonable cost. If those recovery approaches work at meaningful scale, they could help address U.S. critical materials needs while also improving the overall business case for geothermal plants. The DOE frames this as potentially enabling broader geothermal deployment, including in regions where energy economics alone might not justify development but where mineral co-production could tip the balance.

The FOA is organized around two main topic areas. Topic Area 1, Engineering Validation of Existing Extraction Technologies, is geared toward applicants who can take a material recovery process and prove it works for geothermal fluids or produced waters in an engineering sense, not just in theory. This includes adapting technologies already used in other industries (for example, processes proven in mining, chemical processing, or water treatment) and demonstrating that they can be transferred to geothermal brines, which can be chemically complex and harsh. It also includes advancing approaches that have already shown experimental promise for recovering target materials from these fluids, with the emphasis on validation of the process or procedure for real-world geothermal conditions.

Topic Area 2, U.S. Regional or Nationwide Assessment of High Value Materials in U.S. Geothermal Fluids and Produced Fluids, is more about building a shared knowledge base than proving a single extraction device or process. Here, DOE is looking for approaches that can quickly and economically create a public, U.S.-wide assessment of where dissolved critical and high-value materials occur in geothermal and produced fluids. The assessment could be site-specific, regional, or national in scope, but the aim is a coherent resource picture that others can use for planning and investment decisions. Successful proposals under this topic are expected to show strong capability in understanding geologic settings as well as in sampling strategy, laboratory analysis, and data interpretation, since consistency and credibility of the measurements are central to making the assessment useful.

The announcement strongly encourages collaboration, especially teams that bring together industry, national laboratories, and universities, and it indicates that teaming will be weighed positively during review. Applicants are also encouraged to coordinate with the DOE Critical Materials Institute led by Ames Laboratory, signaling that DOE wants projects aligned with broader federal critical-materials priorities and wants results that integrate well with existing research and data efforts.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, collaboration on milestones, technical direction, or go/no-go decision points). The eligible applicant category is listed as unrestricted, implying a broad range of organizations may apply if they meet the FOA requirements. The award ceiling is listed as $1,600,000, and the original application closing date was February 29, 2016. Applications had to be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website, and applicants needed to register and submit through that system to be considered. The FOA and the modification are accessed through EERE eXCHANGE, which also provides guidance materials (including a user guide) and specific points of contact for questions about the announcement content and about submission mechanics.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mineral Recovery Phase II - Geothermal Concepts And Approaches To Validate Extraction" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2015-12-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-02-29. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,600,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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