ARPA-E Archived Funding Opportunities

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit input for a potential Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program focused on evaluating novel approaches to: 1) explore for naturally occurring subsurface hydrogen resources or geologic targets for hydrogen stimulation, and 2) develop methodologies to determine the recoverable reserves of hydrogen from natural accumulation or available through stimulation. These approaches will accelerate the discovery and economic evaluation of these resources and inform management steps needed to harness them.

ARPA-E is soliciting information for how the agency can foster innovation in technologies and methodologies that can accomplish the following goals:

1. Produce a suite of exploration technologies specific to detecting either naturally occurring subsurface hydrogen concentrations or viable formations for hydrogen stimulation on land and offshore;
2. Increase the accuracy and precision of detection for either naturally occurring subsurface hydrogen concentrations or viable formations for hydrogen stimulation;
3. Reduce the cost of exploration efforts for either naturally occurring subsurface hydrogen concentrations or viable formations for hydrogen stimulation;
4. Accelerate the discovery process of either naturally occurring subsurface hydrogen concentrations or viable formations for hydrogen stimulation;
5. Define the geologic processes surrounding production of naturally occurring subsurface hydrogen through either serpentinization or radiolysis of water;
6. Quantify the recharge of hydrogen reservoirs from hydrogen generative processes of naturally occurring subsurface hydrogen through either serpentinization or radiolysis of water; and
7. Inform resource prediction, site management, economic returns, subsurface engineering efforts, environmental impact and mitigation actions through better characterization and monitoring.

Areas Not of Interest for Responses to this RFI:

• Discovery or quantification of deposits of fossil fuel resources (e.g., coal, natural gas, oil) that may be converted to hydrogen;
• Identification of subsurface resources that may be only relevant for industrial production of hydrogen through electrolysis, methane pyrolysis, or any other process; and
• Funding for conventional drilling projects (e.g., “wildcat drilling” in locations that are not established oil fields).

RFI Guidelines:

Note that the information you provide will be used by ARPA-E solely for program planning, without attribution. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS RFI DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. NO FUNDING OPPORTUNITY EXISTS AT THIS TIME.

The purpose of this RFI is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible formulation of future research programs. ARPA-E will not provide funding or compensation for any information submitted in response to this RFI, and ARPA-E may use information submitted to this RFI without any attribution to the source. This RFI provides the broad research community with an opportunity to contribute views and opinions.

No material submitted for review will be returned and there will be no formal or informal debriefing concerning the review of any submitted material. ARPA-E may contact respondents to request clarification or seek additional information relevant to this RFI. All responses provided will be considered, but ARPA-E will not respond to individual submissions or publish a compendium of responses. Respondents shall not include any information in the response to this RFI that could be considered proprietary or confidential.