Upgrading Carbon Derived From Methane Pyrolysis | DE FOA 0001936

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001936

The opportunity titled "Upgrading Carbon Derived From Methane Pyrolysis" (Funding Opportunity Number: DE FOA 0001936) is not a grant, not a funding announcement, and not a call for proposals. It is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to gather technical input that could shape a future research program. In practical terms, ARPA-E is using this RFI to learn from experts and stakeholders before deciding whether to launch a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) later.

The technical focus is methane pyrolysis, also referred to as methane cracking or methane splitting, which produces hydrogen and solid elemental carbon by thermally decomposing methane. ARPA-E is emphasizing the carbon side of the equation because the market value and usability of the solid carbon coproduct can strongly determine whether methane pyrolysis is economically viable at scale. If the process yields mostly low-value carbon (for example, amorphous carbon or inconsistent mixtures), it can become a cost and handling burden; if it can reliably yield higher-value carbon forms, the carbon stream could become a major economic driver rather than a disposal challenge.

ARPA-E is specifically seeking input on technologies and mechanisms that can convert bulk carbon materials produced by methane pyrolysis from less valuable forms or mixed allotropes into more valuable, targeted carbon structures. The RFI highlights interest in producing single allotropes or controlled mixtures of high-value carbon materials, implying pathways to structured, higher-performance products rather than generic carbon black-like solids. The agency is looking for ideas from materials science (including advanced carbon fiber synthesis), process engineering, methane pyrolysis specialists, plasma chemistry, and chemical engineering, with an emphasis on the underlying science and engineering of upgrading and transforming the carbon product stream.

A key point in the RFI is ARPA-E's preference for clearly disruptive, novel approaches that are early in the research and development cycle. They are not asking for integration plans or incremental improvements to existing commercial approaches. Instead, they want concepts that could substantially change what is possible in carbon upgrading from methane pyrolysis, such as new conversion routes, transformative processing methods, or fundamentally different ways to control carbon structure, purity, morphology, or consistency at scale.

In terms of participation, eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning ARPA-E was open to receiving information from essentially any type of entity (companies, universities, national labs, nonprofits, individuals), subject to any additional details in the full RFI. Submissions were to be provided as a PDF emailed to ARPA-E-RFI@hq.doe.gov, with the deadline set at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on June 4, 2018. ARPA-E notes that responses may be used for internal program planning, which is typical for RFIs that serve as market and technology sounding exercises.

Overall, this notice is best understood as ARPA-E testing the landscape for breakthrough methods to turn methane-pyrolysis carbon into high-value carbon products, thereby improving the economics and scalability of hydrogen production via methane splitting. It does not offer funding by itself, but it signals a potential future direction where ARPA-E could later fund high-risk, high-reward R&D aimed at carbon product upgrading technologies linked to methane pyrolysis.

• The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Upgrading Carbon Derived From Methane Pyrolysis" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 07, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 04, 2018 Responses to this RFI should be submitted in PDF format to the email address ARPA-E-RFI@hq.doe.gov by 500 PM Eastern Time on June 4th, 2018. Please read the full text of the RFI for complete submission instructions.. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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