Alternative Fuels & Feedstock Initiative to Add Value to Seed Oil Crops through Improved Preprocessing, Scalability, and Valorization of Product Streams

The Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), acting on behalf of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Alternative Fuels & Feedstock Initiative. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Alternative Fuels & Feedstock Office (AFFO), this initiative seeks university-led research teams to improve the preprocessing, storage, separation, and fractionation of seed oil crops. The primary goal is to increase the overall value of seed oil crops by reducing processing costs, maximizing yields, and valorizing non-oil product streams. Upstream agricultural engineering and downstream conversion technologies are excluded from this scope. Winning projects must demonstrate scalability from bench to field applications and will collaborate with INL’s Biomass Feedstock National User Facility (BFNUF) to generate data supporting an INL-led technoeconomic assessment. Eligible proposals must be led by a U.S. university, though partnerships with industry are highly encouraged. Projects are anticipated to run between 12 and 24 months, supporting approximately 1.25 to 3.25 full-time equivalents (FTEs) alongside necessary laboratory consumables. Interested parties must submit their qualification packages, including core team CVs and a three-to-five-page project statement, to BFNUF@inl.gov and chase.egbert@inl.gov by October 15, 2026. Selected respondents may be invited to participate in a subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) process, with final selection decisions anticipated in January 2027.