A solicitation name is at the moment open for geothermal builders, know-how, and repair suppliers to work on initiatives with the U.S. Air Drive, Military, and Navy.
The USA Air Drive (Division of the Air Drive / DAF) at the moment has an open solicitation name for novel approaches to generate electrical energy at its installations utilizing geothermal vitality. The decision is open till 3 January 2025.
The official solicitation could be seen through this web page.
Expanded scope
An modification made to the unique solicitation considerably expands the scope of the decision, in addition to the potential advantages to distributors deemed as certified. The chance is thus not restricted to Travis Air Drive Base.
Though initially printed by the DAF, the Tradewinds geothermal solicitation has a a lot wider scope of advantages for the chosen distributors. These with submissions which can be deemed “awardable” will be capable of pursue geothermal initiatives wherever on the planet with the U.S. Air Drive, Military, and Navy at any time sooner or later with out having to interact in any additional competitors.
The method permits “awardable” distributors to to interact in iterative, strategic conversations with the Departments of the Air Drive, Military, and Navy with out having to fret about synthetic solicitation timelines, thus additionally shortening the time for geothermal challenge improvement. This solicitation permits for a number of distributors to be deemed “awardable.”
Downside assertion
DAF installations largely depend on off-site electrical energy to conduct its globe-spanning, nationwide safety missions on land and in air, sea, area, and our on-line world. Dependence on off-site electrical energy, nonetheless, creates mission dangers, as a result of electrical grids are vulnerable to outages from excessive climate and cybersecurity assaults by decided adversaries.
To take care of mission continuity and adjust to congressional mandates to take care of vitality resilience for all important missions at every set up, DAF is in search of novel approaches to generate electrical energy at its installations utilizing geothermal vitality, as a result of it may well present, steady, resilient, carbon-free electrical energy no matter climate circumstances. Whereas present renewable vitality options corresponding to wind and photo voltaic can provide on-site vitality, such options present intermittent energy and require battery vitality storage or different options to take care of vitality resilience, in contrast to geothermal vitality.
Regardless of its benefits, there are quite a few technological and geological obstacles to geothermal vitality which have hindered the U.S. authorities’s skill to assemble a utility-scale geothermal facility on federal land to straight provide electrical energy to its missions. Whereas newer geothermal applied sciences corresponding to superior geothermal (i.e., closed-loop) and enhanced geothermal applied sciences maintain the promise of manufacturing energy with out having to depend on naturally occurring, sizzling, underground, water sources, such applied sciences don’t at the moment exist at utility-scale.
Given the latest introduction of those new applied sciences, DAF is in search of to conduct a enterprise course of prototype to find out whether or not these applied sciences are technically and economically possible at DAF installations in america. Beneath the prototype, the chosen vendor(s) would (a) collect information by geoscientific exploration, (b) map out the useful resource, (c) develop an engineering design for a utility-scale facility to provide electrical energy and inexperienced hydrogen by electrolysis to energy gas cells, and (d) suggest a deal construction for the sale of the electrical energy and hydrogen to DAF and others.
If electrical energy manufacturing is technically and economically possible, the prototype challenge could also be thought-about additional for future development of a utility-scale facility for the manufacturing of electrical energy and hydrogen. DAF wouldn’t execute a long-term contract below the prototype to buy the electrical energy and hydrogen commodities. Somewhat, DAF would execute a sole-source, follow-on contract solely after the prototype has been efficiently accomplished. As soon as the follow-on contract has been executed, development of the services might proceed. DAF wouldn’t personal the services, fairly it’s anticipated {that a} third celebration would personal, function, and preserve them. The federal government may additionally think about scaling a profitable prototype to different DAF installations in america.
Methods to apply
candidates might want to submit a video pitch through the Tradewinds Answer Market. Extra tips and directions for submission on the Particular Subject Alternative web page.
There are 5 required components that every video submission should deal with:
- Identification of the Downside(s) addressed
-
Description of the know-how or service resolution and its software to the issue(s) recognized.
- Technical: Strategy to conducting any geoscientific exploration, distant sensing, mapping, drilling, and so forth., and integrating the info into a sturdy useful resource conceptual mannequin. Establish any teaming that could be mandatory to finish this strategy.
- Environmental: Particulars on plans for conducting all environmental evaluation (e.g. Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act). Establish any teaming that could be mandatory to finish this strategy.
-
Potential affect of the answer if adopted by DoD
-
Differentiation from different know-how and repair options which deal with the identical or comparable downside(s)
-
Pricing Mannequin
-
Financing: Particulars on plans for totally financing (100%) the prototype with DAF offering land, web site management, and entry to an set up’s services for the prototype challenge.
-
The DoD as a first-mover on geothermal applied sciences
The DoD is a danger taker and first mover on many cutting-edge applied sciences. Geothermal is the Air Drive’s primary vitality resilience know-how precedence given its promise of having the ability to present resilient, 24/7 baseload energy to Air Drive installations. Thus, the Air Drive created this course of in order that they and the opposite Companies might be first movers and simply work with the geothermal trade.
The DoD has been very energetic lately in participating with geothermal builders and know-how suppliers. In late 2023, the DoD signed contracts with Eavor Applied sciences, TEVERRA, and Zanskar Geothermal and Minerals to judge geothermal sources and viability at their websites in California, Idaho, Texas and Alaska. This was additional expanded in mid-2024 with contracts with Fervo Power, Sage Geosystems, and GreenFire Power.
Sources: E mail correspondence
