Request for Information (RFI) on Transmutation of Nuclear Waste | DE FOA 0003091

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is DE-FOA-0003091?

DE-FOA-0003091 is a Department of Energy ARPA-E notice issued as a Request for Information (RFI) focused on the transmutation of nuclear waste. It is an information-gathering effort intended to collect technical and market input that could shape a future ARPA-E program.

2) Is this a funding opportunity or a grant solicitation?

No. This notice is strictly an RFI and not a funding solicitation. ARPA-E is not accepting applications for financial assistance under this announcement.

3) Is there any award money available under this RFI?

No. The opportunity indicates there is no award funding associated with it (the award ceiling is listed as $0 and expected awards are listed as 0).

4) If it is not funding, what does ARPA-E want from respondents?

ARPA-E is requesting stakeholder input, including technical perspectives and market/economic insights, to inform whether and how ARPA-E might develop a future program related to nuclear waste transmutation.

5) What problem is ARPA-E trying to address with this RFI?

The RFI is tied to ARPA-E's interest in improving the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Specifically, ARPA-E is exploring whether transmutation could reduce long-term radiotoxicity, reduce the effective waste burden, and shorten storage/disposal time horizons by converting long-lived, highly radiotoxic isotopes into shorter-lived and/or more stable isotopes.

6) What is meant by "transmutation" in the context of this RFI?

In this RFI, transmutation refers to approaches that would target key fission products and actinides remaining in nuclear waste streams and convert problematic isotopes into isotopes that are shorter-lived and/or more stable.

7) How does this relate to ARPA-E's existing work on nuclear waste?

ARPA-E notes it already has multiple programs in this area (GEMINI, MEITNER, ONWARDS, and CURIE) aimed at reducing radioactive waste volume by roughly a factor of 10 or more and decreasing required storage time by a comparable amount. This RFI explores whether transmutation could push those reductions further by additional orders of magnitude.

8) Is ARPA-E looking for complete facility designs or something else?

ARPA-E is particularly interested in "transmutation enabling technologies" rather than only end-to-end facility concepts. The RFI emphasizes approaches that make transmutation systems operationally robust and economically credible.

9) What kinds of practical considerations does ARPA-E care about?

The RFI highlights performance and system-level considerations such as improving reliability and duty cycles (how consistently and how long a transmutation system can operate effectively) while reducing capital and operating costs.

10) What is "duty cycle" and why is it mentioned?

The RFI uses "duty cycle" to describe how consistently and how long a transmutation system can operate effectively. ARPA-E flags this as a key real-world performance factor alongside cost and reliability.

11) Does the RFI ask for economic and market input?

Yes. ARPA-E indicates that understanding the economic conditions that would justify building and operating a transmutation facility is a priority area for input to support future program design.

12) Are there any potential co-benefits ARPA-E wants to hear about?

Yes. The RFI highlights potential co-benefits and adjacent applications including generation of valuable isotopes and radioisotopes (including those relevant to medicine), as well as semiconductor production.

13) Why are medical isotopes and semiconductors mentioned in a nuclear waste RFI?

The RFI signals interest in concepts where transmutation infrastructure or associated capabilities (such as neutron sources, separation methods, or irradiation capabilities) could also support valuable products. These co-benefits could improve project economics and strengthen the case for deployment.

14) Does ARPA-E mention reprocessing?

Yes. The notice points to reprocessing as a potentially important component for efficient transmutation because separating or conditioning spent fuel and waste streams can affect how effectively particular isotopes can be targeted.

15) Does the RFI take a position on where reprocessing should occur?

The RFI raises the issue as an area for consideration. It notes that placing reprocessing at waste-generating sites versus colocating it with a transmutation facility could change transportation needs, regulatory complexity, throughput logistics, and overall cost.

16) Is ARPA-E considering one facility or multiple facilities?

The RFI raises the possibility that multiple facilities might be needed depending on desired scale of waste reduction and the size/throughput of individual transmutation plants. This implies interest in modularity, scalability, and networked infrastructure concepts.

17) Who can respond to this RFI?

Eligibility for providing input is effectively open. The listing states eligible applicants are "unrestricted," and ARPA-E invites perspectives from developers and end-users across national laboratories, universities, private industry, and the medical community.

18) What kinds of ideas is ARPA-E encouraging?

ARPA-E is seeking early-stage, novel, and potentially disruptive approaches that are still early in the research and development cycle, consistent with ARPA-E's focus on high-risk, high-reward innovation.

19) How were responses supposed to be submitted?

Responses were requested as PDF submissions emailed to ARPA-E-RFI@hq.doe.gov.

20) What was the deadline for submitting an RFI response?

The deadline stated in the notice was 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 12, 2023.

21) When was this RFI created?

The RFI was created on May 15, 2023.

22) Where can the full text and detailed instructions be found?

The full text and detailed instructions were made available through ARPA-E's funding opportunity website at https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov.

23) Does this RFI commit ARPA-E to a future program or funding?

The notice describes the effort as information-gathering and does not provide funding through this announcement. It is intended to shape a potential future ARPA-E program, but the RFI itself does not make funding commitments.

24) Does the RFI mention any broader funding context respondents should consider?

Yes. While not offering funding itself, the RFI notes that there may be relevant funding sources in the broader nuclear ecosystem, such as funds associated with reactor decommissioning and the nuclear waste fund, which could potentially support aligned activities. This is presented as contextual information for discussing pathways to implementation and financing.