Release Date: January 27, 2001

PITTSBURGH, PA - With several initiatives underway to develop a new generation of "ultra-clean" transportation fuels, the Department of Energy has issued a document describing its overall strategy and plans for dramatically reducing pollution from tomorrow's cars and trucks through advances in technology.

In a related action, the department's National Energy Technology Laboratory, which is coordinating much of the government's ultra-clean fuels research program, is planning three public workshops in February to begin identifying the key fundamental science and technology needs of the fuels industry and how federal programs can best address them.
The 20-page Ultra-Clean Transportation Fuels Program Plan was posted today on the Energy Department's fossil energy (www.fossil.energy.gov) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (www.netl.doe.gov) web sites.

It describes a program oriented around three major functions: (1) the development of technologies that can remove nearly all of the pollutant-forming impurities in fuels made from fossil feedstocks such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas; (2) the development of technologies that produce ultra-clean biofuels - fuels made from agricultural, forest or municipal waste products, and (3) ways to optimize the combined performance of fuels, advanced high-efficiency engines and emission control systems.

Specific efforts to develop these new technologies are carried out by the department's Office of Fossil Energy and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The plan is the joint product of both organizations.

Last year, the department issued its first competitive solicitation for ultra-clean fuels research and development projects. The initial competition, which has resulted to date in eight joint government-industry projects, emphasized larger scale fuels production and engine testing.

This year, the department is planning a second competition. This one will be focused on developing the underlying scientific and engineering foundation for the nation's future fuels industry.

To give private companies, universities, and others interested in the fuel industry's needs an opportunity to help shape the upcoming call for proposals, the department's National Energy Technology Laboratory will hold workshops on Supporting Science and Enabling Technologies for Clean Liquid Fuels on:

1. February 6 in San Francisco at the Crown Plaza San Francisco Union Sq.,
2. February 8 in Houston at the Hilton Houston Southwest, and
3. February 13 in Pittsburgh at the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

The planned competition will seek projects in (1) Separation Science and Technologies, (2) Catalysis and Reaction Engineering, (3) Product Upgrading, Blending and Evaluation Technologies, (4) Diagnostics and Controls, (5) Materials, and (6) System Integration.