Request for Information (RFI) on Nuclear Heat for Modular Process Intensification in Refineries and Petrochemical Plants | DE FOA 0003534

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The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has released a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Nuclear Heat for Modular Process Intensification in Refineries and Petrochemical Plants" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0003534). This notice is strictly an information-gathering effort and is not a funding solicitation. In other words, ARPA-E is not accepting grant applications, will not make awards under this notice (award ceiling and expected awards are both listed as zero), and is using the responses to shape and evaluate the case for a possible future program. ARPA-E is explicitly clear that this is not a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and that no NOFO exists at this time.

At a high level, the RFI is about decarbonizing the large process-heat demands in refineries and petrochemical plants by replacing combustion-based heating with heat delivered from nuclear-derived heat transfer fluids, potentially paired with combined heat and power (CHP). The concept is not simply to generate electricity or steam from nuclear and call it done, but to directly improve the performance and efficiency of specific industrial "unit operations" by enabling new designs that take advantage of a stable, high-quality heat source. ARPA-E is looking for input on technologies that are both transformative (meaning they could materially change how these plants are designed or operated) and implementable (meaning they have a credible pathway to real deployment in industrial settings).

The RFI builds on ARPA-E's earlier exploration of nuclear hybrid and non-electricity energy systems (referencing DE-FOA-0003011 from February 2023) but narrows the scope to refineries and petrochemical facilities and to the practical integration of nuclear heat into modular, intensified process equipment. The theme of "modular process intensification" signals interest in smaller, more efficient, potentially factory-fabricated unit operations that can deliver higher throughput, better heat and mass transfer, and improved energy efficiency compared to conventional large-scale equipment, while also being easier to integrate or retrofit in complex industrial sites.

ARPA-E highlights three main technical areas where it wants stakeholder input. First is the development of process-intensified reactors for endothermic processes, which are common in refining and petrochemicals and require continuous heat input. The underlying idea is that if nuclear heat can be delivered effectively and safely to these endothermic steps, it may be possible to redesign reactors to reduce energy losses, improve selectivity or yield, and lower overall emissions compared to fired heaters and combustion-driven furnaces. Second is novel heat transfer and heat augmentation technologies, which points to the practical engineering challenge of moving heat from a nuclear system to process equipment efficiently, at the right temperature and heat flux, using suitable heat transfer media and hardware that can meet industrial reliability needs. Third is the process dynamics challenge of matching a traditionally firm heat source (nuclear, typically optimized for steady operation) with volatile and changing industrial heat demand profiles in refineries and chemical plants. This includes issues like ramping, transient operations, turnarounds, feedstock variability, and how to manage mismatches between supply and demand without sacrificing safety, economics, or equipment life.

Beyond these technical thrusts, the RFI emphasizes that coupling nuclear systems with oil and gas industrial operations will require commercial and systems-level innovation as much as it requires new hardware. ARPA-E calls out needs such as process co-design and co-optimization (designing the nuclear heat delivery and the chemical process together rather than as separate add-ons), improved sensors and controls for integrated operations, and the development of thermal buffering and interface components that can smooth out operational differences between nuclear heat supply and industrial demand. The agency also stresses that any credible solution must meet core industrial performance expectations including reliability, availability, and durability, and must do so cost-effectively, since refineries and petrochemical plants are highly cost-competitive environments with strict uptime requirements.

The RFI also makes clear what assumptions ARPA-E is using as it considers a future program. Those assumptions include that nuclear heat or CHP can be a viable decarbonization route for industrial processes; that regulatory approvals can be obtained in a predictable manner; that the nuclear fuel cycle, including waste processing and geologic disposal, can be defined and carried out reliably and economically; and that warranty protection and insurability can be established. By stating these assumptions up front, ARPA-E is signaling that it wants feedback that engages with practical deployment realities, not just laboratory feasibility, including safety considerations and technology-to-market challenges.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed under ARPA-E (Agency Name: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy) within the science and technology and other R and D category, with CFDA number 81.135, and eligible applicants are described as unrestricted, which is typical for an RFI because it is open to broad stakeholder input rather than limited to a specific applicant class. The posting lists an original closing date of January 15, 2025, which functions as the deadline for submitting responses to the information request. Interested parties are directed to the full RFI at https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov, where ARPA-E provides the complete set of questions it wants respondents to address.

Taken together, the RFI is ARPA-E testing the landscape for a future program that would push beyond conventional electrification and steam-based decarbonization by enabling direct nuclear heat integration into intensified, modular refinery and petrochemical operations. The agency is trying to understand where the biggest technical bottlenecks and deployment barriers are, which solution concepts are plausible and scalable, what safety and interface issues need to be solved, and how an eventual ARPA-E program could be structured to accelerate technologies that could realistically move from concept to industrial demonstration and, eventually, commercial adoption.

• The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the oz, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information (RFI) on Nuclear Heat for Modular Process Intensification in Refineries and Petrochemical Plants" 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 2024-12-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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