The U.S. Department of Energy has released a Notice of Intent, DE-FOA-0001812, for medium and heavy duty natural gas vehicle engine research and development. As explained by NGVAmerica, the national trade association dedicated to growing a sustainable NGV market, the program aims to address technical barriers to the adoption of natural gas vehicles.
This notice comes as a result of the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill:
“Within available funds, the recommendation includes up to $15,000,000 for medium and heavy-duty on-road natural gas engine research and development, including energy efficiency improvements, emission after-treatment technologies, fuel system enhancements, and new engine development. Additionally, the Department is encouraged to address technical barriers to the increased use of alternative fuel vehicles, including the development of novel compression and liquefaction technologies, advanced materials, and improvements in processes for conditioning and dispensing natural gas.”
NGVAmerica says the Department is focusing on early stage research on medium and heavy duty on-road engine technologies. This program is not intended to fund a complete engine development. However, subsystem research leading to increased overall engine efficiency is within scope. Potential technologies may include combustion strategies, engine subsystems, emission control systems, fuel systems, and controls.
Many in Washington have been concerned about deep funding cuts to key programs, including those of importance to the NGV industry. Despite these concerns, NGVAmerica obtained crucial programmatic language and key funding for its R&D priorities. NGVAmerica, working with congressional offices, secured funding and legislative language supporting several key NGV initiatives for FY2017.
In the Omnibus spending agreement for FY 2017 were several provisions requested by NGVAmerica, including:
- $15 million for natural gas engine research and development in Energy and Water and related agency funding
- $34 million for Clean Cities Deployment
- Programmatic language relating to new safety regulations for liquefied natural gas fuel tanks and fuel systems and language related to guidance for deploy transit buses that have roof-top mounted CNG cylinders
Additionally, NGVAmerica staff participated in a Department of Energy R&D workshop at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on July 25. At this workshop, association representatives shared the NGVAmerica Technology & Development Committee’s top R&D priorities.
This topic will be discussed in further detail at the Technology & Development Committee meeting that will be held in conjunction with the NGVAmerica Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on September 26.
Please contact Dan Bowerson, Director, Technology & Development for NGVAmerica (dbowerson@ngvamerica.org) with any questions or comments.
Source: NGVAmerica – www.ngvamerica.org
