AMMTO & IEDO Newsletter: Your Monthly Update

This October, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office reorganized into two new offices: the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization...

Advanced Manufacturing & Industrial Decarbonization

December 21, 2022

ICYMI: EERE Created Two New Advanced Manufacturing Offices

This October, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office reorganized into two new offices: the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO). Starting in January 2023, each office will be sending updates about new funding opportunities, upcoming events, and other announcements separately so you can receive the news that’s most important to you.

We’ll keep sending you updates from both offices. However, you can update your preferences for receiving announcements, newsletters, and other updates here:

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https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USEERE/subscriber/new?topic_id=USEERE_26

What do the changes at EERE mean for you? Read the FAQ to find out.

New Career Opportunities:

Both the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) are expanding their teams to help fulfill their mission and build a clean energy future

AMMTO

In January, AMMTO will be interviewing for three positions:

IEDO

Starting in January, IEDO will also be interviewing for three positions:

Learn more about the opportunities and apply today!

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO)

 

Recent News and Funding Opportunities 

AMMTO and IEDO Announce Funding Opportunity for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $40 million funding opportunity for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. As part of this funding opportunity, the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) expect to provide approximately $4 million in Phase I proof of concept grants. The SBIR and STTR programs have helped thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs develop the cutting-edge technologies required to accelerate our transition to a clean energy future. Letters of intent are due January 3, 2023, at 5:00 P.M. ET. Learn more about the AMMTO and IEDO-funded SBIR/STTR Phase I topics.

Secretary Granholm Kicks Off Battery Workforce Initiative with Industry Roundtable Event in Michigan

DOE’s Battery Workforce Initiative got off to a jump-start on December 12th at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan. There, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm convened a diverse stakeholder group of across government and industry to strategize the development of a skilled workforce necessary to support the rapid growth of lithium-ion battery manufacturing.

The Initiative will support U.S. global competitiveness within battery manufacturing while strengthening the domestic economy and advancing the security of our nation’s domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain.

“That supply chain requires droves of workers, and they are literally jobs that did not exist in this country before," Secretary Granholm said, following the roundtable. "These are parts of the supply chain that we’re building entirely from scratch. And we need to build a labor force alongside that supply chain.”

Read more about the event and the Battery Workforce Initiative here.

MDF Success: Additive Manufacturing Research Center of Excellence
Since 2016, GKN Aerospace and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been working under a cooperative research agreement to develop and mature robotic laser wire additive technologies for reducing the cost, energy, and lead time for large titanium components for the aerospace industry. Under the partnership, GKN Aerospace staff and equipment were embedded in DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL to advance the technology from the development phase through pilot plant status. This immersion formed the basis of the next step at GKN Aerospace’s new 100,000-square-foot Additive Manufacturing Research Center of Excellence in Fort Worth. Support for the project was provided by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). Learn more about the Additive Manufacturing Research Center of Excellence here.

 

Highlights

DOE Technology Managers Visit the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation
Kristen McDaniel and John “Nick” Lalena, DOE Technology Managers based in Colorado’s Golden Field Office, visited Purdue University Northwest’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) earlier this year to review the progress of the Integrated Virtual Blast Furnace (IVBF) project. Last year, DOE granted Purdue $7 million to design software and a non-invasive imaging sensor to improve the observability and operation of blast furnaces. Learn more about the IVBF project and McDaniel and Lalena’s recent visit to CIVS.

AMMTO Deputy Director Presents at Western Governors’ Association 2022 Winter Meeting
Earlier this month, AMMTO Deputy Director Dr. Diana Bauer travelled to Tucson, Arizona to participate in the panel discussion “From Mines to Magnets: Expanding Domestic Mineral Supply” at the Western Governors’ Association Meeting. Dr. Bauer was joined by the Director of Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, John Baza, and Thayer Smith, President of USA Rare Earth. During the panel, Dr. Bauer emphasized the importance of end-to-end domestic mineral supply chains.

"We mine rare earth materials, but we send them to China for refining and processing. That is not good from a manufacturing or environmental perspective," Dr. Bauer said. "There are opportunities in the U.S. to make [refining and manufacturing] environmentally friendly and sustainable."

First 3D-Printed Home Using Bio-Based Materials Developed at University of Maine
Acting AMMTO and IEDO Director, Dr. Steve McKnight, visited the University of Maine for the unveiling of the first ever 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based materials. Dr. McKnight was joined at the event, hosted by UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), by Maine Governor Janet Mills; U.S. Sen. Susan Collins; DOE’s Senior Advisor for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Jeff Marootian; Acting Chief of Staff for EERE Rebecca Isacowitz; and Xin Sun, Associate Laboratory Director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The leaders toured ASCC, provided remarks and participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the BioHome3D prototype, which was developed with funding from DOE and ORNL. Click here to learn more.

Reducing Industrial Emissions Across the (Manufacturing) USA
Reducing emissions across the industrial sector has been a foundational strategy since the Manufacturing USA network was founded in 2014. In doing so, institutes have partnered with research entities and private sector companies to develop processes to reduce industrial emissions and lower the barriers to entry so more manufacturers can adopt these breakthroughs.

AMMTO supports six institutes in the Manufacturing USA network. DOE’s Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes include PowerAmerica, IACMI, RAPID, REMADE, CESMII, and CyManII.

While every institution's projects may contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability, here is a look at some of the many initiatives related to emissions-intensive industrial processes.

Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO)

 

Recent News and Funding Opportunities

DOE Announces $23 Million to Fund Research and Development to Decarbonize Water Resource Recovery Facilities

On December 16, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) issued a $23 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will drive innovation to decarbonize the entire life cycle of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs). These facilities, which treat wastewater from public water systems, are among the country’s largest industrial electricity users with full lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on par with direct emissions from the food and beverage industry— one of the largest GHG-emitting industries in the United States. This FOA will accelerate research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of technologies to lower GHG emissions from WRRFs to help decarbonize our nation’s water treatment sector and move the U.S. closer to a net-zero economy by 2050. Learn more.

Notice of Intent to Fund Onsite Energy Technical Assistance Partnerships

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced its intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement that will establish a regional network of Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs) to help industrial facilities and other large energy users increase the adoption of onsite energy technologies. Clean onsite energy technologies provide a practical alternative to generating electricity and heat from fossil fuels and produce flexible, reliable, and affordable energy that reduces emissions across the industrial sector. Learn more and view the NOI. Interested in getting involved? Add your contact information to our teaming partner list and indicate your areas of expertise/interest.

U.S. Department of Energy Awards $4.8 Million To Advance Water Treatment Technologies and Reduce Carbon Emissions
On November 30th, IEDO, in partnership with the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI), announced the selection of seven projects across 11 states that will help the United States further its goals toward securing an affordable, energy-efficient water supply. These projects will develop innovative approaches and technologies that focus on autonomous operation and precision separations in water treatment. Find out more about these seven projects and their intended impacts here.

U.S. Joins International Collaboration to Decarbonize Energy-Intensive Industries

On November 17, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced that the United States will join Mission Innovation’s Net-Zero Industries Mission. This international partnership will bring together thought leaders from across the globe to develop and accelerate the deployment of cost-competitive technologies needed to decarbonize energy-intensive industrial sectors. Achieving deep industrial decarbonization is a critical step on the path toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. DOE’s strategy for achieving a net-zero industrial sector is informed by the “Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap.” The roadmap identifies five energy-and-emissions-intensive sectors where decarbonization efforts could have the largest impact, including petroleum refining; chemicals; iron and steel; cement; and food and beverage. To learn more about the roadmap and DOE’s initiatives to decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector, please visit the IEDO website.

 

Upcoming AMMTO & IEDO Deadlines