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DOE OSTI2024

INL High-Performance and Sustainable Building Strategy

High-performance buildings are reliable, cost effective, and sustainable structures that minimize energy and water use, reduce solid waste and pollutant emissions, and limit the depletion of natural resources. High-performance buildings also provide a thermally and visually comfortable working environment that increases productivity for building occupants. As Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is the nation’s premier nuclear energy research laboratory, the physical infrastructure requires continual updating and repurposing to help accomplish that mission. INL’s infrastructure must incorporate high-performance sustainable design features to be fiscally responsible and reflect an image of innovation to the public and prospective employees. INL is a large consumer of energy with annual energy costs exceeding $16M. This High-Performance and Sustainable Building Strategy will help engineering and construction project teams design sustainable facilities, reduce life cycle operating costs, and support the INL net-zero plan while providing INL employees with a safe and healthy working environment. With these goals in mind, the recommendations described in this document are intended to form INL’s foundation for sustainable and high-performance building standards. This strategy incorporates the latest federal and Department of Energy (DOE) orders and directives, including DOE Order 436.1A, “Departmental Sustainability,” the DOE Sustainability Plan (SP), the INL Site Sustainability Plan (SSP), and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This document identifies the requirements of the “Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings” (Guiding Principles) and briefly highlights the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. LEED Gold certification can be used to meet many of the requirements of the Guiding Principles.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Breakthrough innovations in carbon dioxide mineralization for a sustainable future

Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change concerns have prompted worldwide initiatives to lower carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels and prevent them from rising in the atmosphere, thereby controlling global warming. Effective CO 2 management through carbon capture and storage is essential for safe and permanent storage, as well as synchronically meeting carbon reduction targets. Lowering CO 2 emissions through carbon utilization can develop a wide range of new businesses for energy security, material production, and sustainability. CO 2 mineralization is one of the most promising strategies for producing thermodynamically stable solid calcium or magnesium carbonates for long-term sequestration using simple chemical reactions. Current advancements in CO 2 mineralization technologies, focusing on pathways and mechanisms using different industrial solid wastes, including natural minerals as feedstocks, are briefly discussed. However, the operating costs, energy consumption, reaction rates, and material management are major barriers to the application of these technologies in CO 2 mineralization. Further, the optimization of operating parameters, tailor-made equipment, and smooth supply of waste feedstocks require more attention to make the carbon mineralization process economically and commercially viable. Here, carbonation mechanisms, technological options to expedite mineral carbonation, environmental impacts, and prospects of CO 2 mineralization technologies are critically evaluated to suggest a pathway for mitigating climate change in the future. The integration of industrial wastes and brine with the CO 2 mineralization process can unlock its potential for the development of novel chemical pathways for the synthesis of calcium or magnesium carbonates, valuable metal recovery, and contribution to sustainability goals while reducing the impact of global warming.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Roadmapping Minigrid Innovations for Cost Reduction

Electrification of the world's rural regions is a high priority for both the private and public sectors, as it has been linked to economic development, improved education and public health. Minigrid systems, opposed to grid extension, have been identified as the favorable solution for electrification in many cases. However, the life cycle costs of minigrid systems remain too high for widespread implementation. To address this, Colorado State University (CSU) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) hosted a series of 3 workshops to engage a range of minigrid stakeholders to determine common issues underlying the cost of minigrid systems. The series identified numerous areas for further development in technology and business, with equal emphasis on pre-installation, capital/equipment, and operational costs. In addition, the workshop series emphasized the need for better market intelligence and a better understanding of productive use as a means of stimulating energy demand.

cost reduction↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effectiveness of Residue and Tillage Management on Runoff Pollutant Reduction from Agricultural Areas

Highlights No-till and no-till residue systems were effective in reducing runoff particulate and total nutrients but increased dissolved nutrients. Maintaining >30% residue cover reduced most runoff constituents, irrespective of no-till or tillage. No-till-residue prevented runoff nutrient losses and benefitted farm revenue by avoiding tillage. Abstract. Reduced tillage management conservation practices (No-till and Reduced-till) are widely adopted in agriculture; however, understanding their overall effectiveness for water quality protection is challenging. A meta-analysis was conducted to understand and quantify the effectiveness of residue and tillage management on runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses from agricultural fields. Annual runoff and the associated sediment, and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loads were compiled from 60 peer reviewed research articles published across the United States and Canada. A total of 1575 site-years of data were categorized into tillage (<30% surface cover), no-tillage (<30% surface cover), tillage with residue (>30% surface cover), no-tillage with residue (>30% surface cover), and pasture management. No-tillage, no-tillage-residue, and tillage-residue managements were evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing runoff, nutrients, and sediment loads compared to tillage. Synthesized and surveyed corn yield data were used to evaluate the economic cost effectiveness of no-tillage-residue management with respect to tillage. Across the site years (1968-2019) studied, median runoff depth for no-tillage and no-tillage-residue were 84% and 70% greater than tillage and tillage-residue management, respectively. No-tillage-residue management had up to 86% less sediment losses than tillage systems, on average, for both >30% and <30% surface cover. No-tillage-residue management was most effective, with a positive performance effectiveness of 65% to 90% in controlling sediments, particulate, and total nutrient losses in runoff compared to tillage. Cost effectiveness analysis revealed the benefits of no-tillage-residue management in reducing nutrient loads and increasing net-farm revenue by avoiding tillage operational costs. Except for dissolved phosphorus, no-tillage-residue management cost effectiveness for sediments and nutrient loads ranged from negative $6 to negative $102 per every Mg or kg of load reduction, indicating it had both economic and environmental benefits compared to tillage management. Overall, these results indicate that over the long-term, no-tillage and tillage, combined with greater than 30% residue cover, can effectively reduce sediment and nutrient losses. This work highlights the importance of crop residues on the soil surface to reduce runoff losses, even in no-tillage systems. Keywords: Conservation tillage, No-tillage, Residue cover, Tillage, Water quality.

Agriculture↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unlocking Manufacturing Sustainability: Energy Efficiency Opportunities through the US Department of Energy’s Better Plants Program Energy Treasure Hunts (2023–2024)

The US manufacturing sector faces critical challenges: improving sustainability, reducing energy consumption, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Treasure Hunt (ETH) training, a service provided by the US Department of Energy’s Better Plants program, offers a compelling solution. Although ETHs have traditionally focused on energy and cost savings, data indicate that ETHs can be used to identify opportunities to reduce emissions and water use and to support a sustainable and circular operation. These 3-day on-site events engage employees in a collaborative search for operational and maintenance efficiency improvement opportunities. The success of ETHs lies in a comprehensive methodology. Each phase in an ETH uses various tools and resources to empower employees to identify practical solutions. This study presents data from 13 ETHs conducted between 2023 and 2024 across diverse manufacturing subsectors in the United States and demonstrates that the events can help create a pragmatic decarbonization pathway. Through the events, a total of 234 energy and emissions reduction opportunities were identified, and the potential impact is significant. Implementing the recommendations could translate to annual savings of 497,299 MMBtu of energy, 64,374 kgal of water, and 4.85 million tCO 2 e of emissions. The fiscal savings from the proposed recommendations translate into nearly $\$$5 million annually. This study identifies the opportunities by energy system type and by the specific actions recommended, while also analyzing the identified opportunities, presenting the most established sustainability recommendations. Case studies from participating partners are presented to further demonstrate that ETHs provide a practical and impactful approach to reducing energy consumption, emissions, and operating costs and promote a more sustainable future for the industrial sector.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Enhanced carbon-transfer and -utilization efficiencies achieved using membrane carbonation with gas sources having a range of CO 2 concentrations

The economic viability of microalgal biofuels relies on increasing productivity in a cost-effective manner. As microalgal biomass contains > 50% carbon, a high rate of CO 2 delivery is required for high productivity, and inefficient CO 2 delivery amplifies operating costs. Membrane carbonation using non-porous hollow fiber membranes can ideally deliver CO 2 without bubble formation and high carbon transfer efficiency. Because CO 2 streams from industrial resources are not 100% CO 2 , the buildup of inert gasses can significantly lower the CO 2 delivery rate when the distal end of the membrane is closed. To overcome the buildup of inert gases, we managed the distal end of the membranes with three different approaches: fully open end, restricted bleed valve, and restricted bleed valve with pH-actuated venting. For all approaches, CO 2 was delivered to membranes ondemand based on a pH set point. Evaluating a wide range of CO 2 concentrations (10% to 100%), we found that all approaches eliminated the buildup of inert gases, could maintain target pH values and gave the same biomass productivities and carbon distributions. However, carbon transfer efficiency depended on the operation of the distal end. Fully open-end operation gave a poor carbon transfer efficiency because of excessive loss of CO 2 from the distal end. However, restricting the exit flow rate to ≤4 cm 3 /min mitigated the problems of excessive CO 2 loss, but without incurring a large loss of CO 2 -delivery flux. For the continuous cultivation, combining a restricted bleed valve with pH-actuated venting improved the carbon-transfer efficiency and -utilization efficiencies up to 85% and 67%, respectively, with a sufficient CO 2 delivery flux.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

NEAMS Burnup Extension Accomplishments and Remaining Modeling Gaps

The economic viability of light-water reactors (LWRs) in the United States is declining in heavily subsidized markets, and as a result, the nuclear industry is looking for opportunities to enhance the economic competitiveness of nuclear power. This is not a foreign concept to the nuclear industry: in the mid-2000s, the nuclear industry set out to achieve zero fuel failures by 2010. The goal in this effort was to drive down the cost of reactor shut down by replacing a pin or bundle in response to fuel rod failure. 2010 brought about the initiative to deliver the nuclear promise to reduce operating cost by 30% to improve nuclear energy’s economic competitiveness before 2020. The emergence of accident-tolerant fuel also offers the nuclear industry an opportunity to build on these past successes and deliver affordable, clean energy. Accident-tolerant fuel has been shown to provide superior performance compared to traditional Zircaloy/UO2 fuel concepts, offering the unique ability to remove operational limitations that inhibit the economic viability of nuclear power. This has led the industry to begin building a technical case to extend the peak rod average burnup beyond 62 GWd/tU to extend pressurized water reactor cycle lengths to 24 months and to develop more efficient boiling water reactor core designs. The Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program mission is to develop advanced modeling and simulation tools and capabilities to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear energy technologies. The primary safety concern inhibiting the nuclear industry from extending burnup is related to high-burnup fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal. Therefore, the NEAMS program developed a targeted 5-year plan to support the industry’s efforts to extend burnup. This milestone report summarizes the 5-year plan that was enacted in FY20, followed by a discussion of the ongoing activates required to fulfill the 5-year plan, as well as the approach to address the current modeling gaps. Additionally, an LWR stakeholder meeting was held to communicate work performed in the NEAMS program over the past three years, to assess the LWR community’s perspective on the impact of the program, and to identify remaining significant gaps in the NEAMS suite of capabilities. This engagement will be documented by the Electric Power Research Institute and used by NEAMS to redirect current LWR scope as needed and to develop the next phase for LWR research and development.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decision-Dependent Uncertainty-Aware Distribution System Planning Under Wildfire Risk

The interaction between power systems and wildfires can be dangerous and costly. Distribution grids can be liable for the outbreak of wildfires during extreme weather. In wildfire-prone areas, investment planning should consider the impact of operational actions on wildfire-related uncertainties affecting line failure likelihood. Here, in this case, endogenous-based uncertainty modeling should comprise the backbone of the investment planning model viz-a-viz the inability of standard exogenous-based uncertainty modeling. Therefore, we propose a decision-dependent uncertainty (DDU) aware methodology to optimize investment portfolios for distribution systems, considering that high power-flow levels in high-threat areas can ignite wildfires and increase line failure probability. The methodology identifies the best combination of upgrades (new lines, hardening existing lines, and placing switching devices). Methodologically, we propose a two-stage distributionally robust planning optimization problem with DDU that considers the distribution system's multiperiod operation. The first stage determines optimal switching actions and line investments, and the second stage evaluates the worst-case expected operational cost under a DDU framework designed to account for the endogenous impact of power-flow levels and hardening investment decisions in the line failure probabilities. An iterative method is tailored to handle the problem and numerical experiments demonstrate a more prepared grid to deal with wildfire risk.

Power systems investment planning↗
DOE OSTI2021

Investigating Wireless Quantum Key Distribution for Advanced Reactor Communications

Remote operation of small modular reactor (SMR) facilities is an appealing prospect for streamlined operation costs, safety concerns, and user convenience. The ability to guarantee security of communication channels between offsite users and nuclear reactor facilities is critical to enabling remote operations, given the sensitive nature of reactor state data. This report proposes a configuration implementing quantum key distribution (QKD) and advanced encryption standard (AES) protocols to establish secure reactor data feeds. The model outlined, which utilizes the Argonne-developed SeQUeNCe software package and custom MATLAB code, determines free-space channel losses for microwave-band communications in a variety of weather conditions and simulates QKD via ground-satellite links. This report demonstrates the feasibility of repeatable, real-time key generation and distribution for this configuration towards enabling secure wireless reactor communications.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus (FCEB) Evaluations in US Public Transit Service

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency. NREL has evaluated alternative fuel and advanced propulsion transit buses for DOE and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA). These evaluations are focused on determining the status of fuel cell systems and the corresponding infrastructure in transit applications to help DOE and FTA assess the progress toward technology readiness. For the last 19 years NREL has evaluated FCEBs in service around the United States and in Canada. The results of these evaluations have been published in numerous reports that compare FCEB performance to conventional technology as well as document the implementation experience and lessons learned by the transit agencies and their demonstration teams. Currently, 70 fuel cell buses are in active service in the US and 66 FCEBs are in development. NREL is evaluating a subset of the active FCEBs that includes three transit agencies demonstrating 25 fuel cell electric buses in California. One bus has exceeded 35,000 hours in service and 12 have exceeded 25,000 hours. Fuel economy for the current generation of FCEBs has improved 35% over the previous generation and is double that of conventional buses. Maintenance cost for FCEBs is equivalent to diesel and BEBs. The most up-to-date performance results will be presented, including fuel economy, availability, reliability, and operational costs.

bus↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Physics-Informed Reinforcement Learning Framework for Economic-Thermal Co-Optimization of Crypto Mining Data Centers: Preprint

The rapid expansion of cryptocurrency mining has created a new class of high-density data centers characterized by extreme thermal flux and high sensitivity to volatile economic markets. Traditional thermal management strategies, typically reliant on rule-based control, maintain static setpoints that fail to account for fluctuating electricity prices and cryptocurrency values - factors critical to mining profitability. To address this, we present a physics-informed reinforcement learning (PIRL) framework for economic-thermal co-optimization in crypto mining data centers. This framework consists of a proximal policy optimization (PPO) agent, a virtual testbed powered by high-fidelity physics-based models, and an interactive frontend dashboard. The PPO agent is trained using the virtual testbed and strict hardware safety limits. This physics-informed approach allows the agent to learn a stochastic policy that dynamically balances mining revenue against operational costs by co-optimizing HVAC cooling setpoints and IT computational hashrate. The simulation results demonstrate that the integrated framework achieved an 8.62% increase in net operational profit compared to traditional baseline strategies while strictly adhering to safety-critical temperature constraints (coolant supply temperature < 32 degrees C). This work provides a scalable template for the deployment of reinforcement learning in mission critical facilities where economic volatility and physical safety must be managed simultaneously.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Techno-Economic Assessments of Second-Life Batteries for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

When electric vehicle (EV) batteries degrade below a certain capacity, they may no longer be suitable for automotive use but can be repurposed as second-life batteries (SLBs) for other applications, such as EV charging stations. When integrated with photovoltaic (PV) systems, SLB can store surplus solar energy, reducing reliance on the grid and lowering operational costs. This paper presents a novel techno-economic assessment framework for deploying SLBs in combination with PV in grid-connected EV charging stations. The proposed framework integrates the value proposition, charging station operation, optimal dispatch strategies, battery degradation modeling, input data requirements, and detailed procedures for generating key economic performance metrics. Insightful analyses are performed to assess the performance of SLBs in comparison to new batteries across various cost scenarios. The results indicate that SLBs become financially attractive when their cost is 40% or lower than new batteries.

energy storage↗
DOE OSTI2025

Build-to-Replace Strategy to Reduce Operations and Maintenance Costs for Advanced Reactors

This paper targets the reduction of fixed operations and maintenance (O&M) costs for advanced reactor (AR) designs. This goal will be severely constrained if the underlying assumptions of O&M approaches and practices are not questioned and reexamined, especially today when changes can be implemented effectively and efficiently. Achieving a reduction in AR O&M costs requires a completely new way of thinking -a paradigm shift- not through incremental, technology-focused approaches alone. Here, we address this challenge by evaluating the impact of moving to a shorter design life for major structures, systems, and components and shorter, more predictable refurbishment cycles as modeled by the commercial airline industry: the build-to-replace approach. This paper provides a brief overview of this different mindset to O&M applied to ARs and it provided a set of analytical tools based on multi-objective optimization to identify the benefits of such an approach. In conclusion, we provide a direct example analysis of a build-to-replace scenario by identifying and evaluating scenarios for reduced system and component lifetimes and associated replacement and refurbishment schedules to evaluate impacts on O&M costs and other lifecycle elements, such as structure, system, and component reliability.

97 - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Torrefaction of almond shell as a renewable reinforcing agent for plastics: techno-economic analyses and comparison to bioethanol process

Abstract In 2016, the US state of California alone produced nearly 3.5 billion kilograms of almonds, accounting for approximately 84% of the world’s almond production. This generated about 2.58 million metric tons (MTs) of almond residues. Almond shells are currently either burned to generate power or disposed of in landfill. Valorizing almond shells and hulls provides an opportunity to replace petroleum-derived products and divert organic material from landfill. Here we demonstrate a detailed techno-economic analysis (TEA) of an almond shell torrefaction process capable of utilizing the 520 000 MTs of almond shells produced annually in California. Our process also includes preprocessing the torrefied biomass to exploit it as a reinforcing agent for plastics. We further compared the revenue generated from the torrefied biomass and bioethanol derived from the same quantity of almond shells. We considered three different torrefaction facility scales to evaluate trade-offs between economies of scale at the facility and trucking costs to deliver almond shells. A facility that takes in 200 000 MT yr –1 of almond shells results in lower per-unit-output basis capital and operating cost relative to other smaller-scale torrefaction facilities, including 10 000 MT yr –1 and 50 000 MT yr –1 , considered for analysis in this study. The large-sale facility results in a minimum selling price (MSP) of the torrefied biomass of $311.4 MT –1 . An analogous TEA on converting almond residues into bioethanol is also investigated. The MSP of almond shell derived ethanol ($1.71 kg −1 ) is higher than that of corn ($0.48 kg −1 ) or cellulosic biomass ($0.88 kg −1 ) derived ethanol. Compared with the bioethanol route, the torrefied almond shells result in three times more revenue if utilized as a reinforcing agent for plastics.

Liu, Dupeng (ORCID:0000000269514064)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing Control for Efficient Load Shifting with Thermal Energy Storage in Existing HVAC Systems

This project developed the integration of a direct-contact heat exchanger (DCHX) based thermal energy storage (TES) system with a chiller–air handling unit (AHU) plant to evaluate its potential for reducing building energy costs. Detailed physical models of the TES unit, building envelope, and HVAC components were developed alongside simplified control-oriented models to support both high-fidelity simulation and real-time optimization. Two control strategies were implemented and compared: a rule-based control (RBC) aligned with utility time-of-use (ToU) rates, and a model predictive control (MPC) framework leveraging forecasts of building load, weather, and internal gains.Simulation results show that the RBC strategy reduced daily electricity costs by around 30% by shifting cooling production from on-peak to off-peak hours. In contrast, the MPC strategy achieved significantly greater performance, reducing daily operating costs by up to 44% and peak-hour costs by more than 60%. Both strategies maintained indoor thermal comfort within acceptable limits, with MPC further improving load distribution and reducing equipment cycling.The outcomes confirm that TES integration, particularly when coordinated with advanced predictive control, can provide substantial cost savings and on-peak demand reduction. . These findings directly support the U.S. Department of Energy’s goals for grid-interactive efficient buildings and demonstrate the potential of TES-enabled HVAC systems for scalable deployment across the commercial building.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing Control for Efficient Load Shifting with Thermal Energy Storage in Existing HVAC Systems

This project developed the integration of a direct-contact heat exchanger (DCHX) based thermal energy storage (TES) system with a chiller–air handling unit (AHU) plant to evaluate its potential for reducing building energy costs. Detailed physical models of the TES unit, building envelope, and HVAC components were developed alongside simplified control-oriented models to support both high-fidelity simulation and real-time optimization. Two control strategies were implemented and compared: a rule-based control (RBC) aligned with utility time-of-use (ToU) rates, and a model predictive control (MPC) framework leveraging forecasts of building load, weather, and internal gains. Simulation results show that the RBC strategy reduced daily electricity costs by around 30% by shifting cooling production from on-peak to off-peak hours. In contrast, the MPC strategy achieved significantly greater performance, reducing daily operating costs by up to 44% and peak-hour costs by more than 60%. Both strategies maintained indoor thermal comfort within acceptable limits, with MPC further improving load distribution and reducing equipment cycling. The outcomes confirm that TES integration, particularly when coordinated with advanced predictive control, can provide substantial cost savings and on-peak demand reduction. . These findings directly support the U.S. Department of Energy’s goals for grid-interactive efficient buildings and demonstrate the potential of TES-enabled HVAC systems for scalable deployment across the commercial building.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Interparticle Characterization of Mechanical Biomass Particle-Particle and Particle-Wall Interactions

The biomass materials industry faces significant challenges in managing material variability and its impact on storage and handling systems. Physical properties such as moisture content, particle size, and density fluctuate considerably, leading to operational issues like bridging and ratholing that disrupt material flow. These variations create a complex cascade effect throughout the process chain, affecting transportation, storage, and conversion processes. The economic consequences of this variability manifest in increased operational costs, maintenance requirements, and system downtime. Environmental factors further complicate the situation, as weather conditions and seasonal availability influence material properties and system performance. Engineers employ specialized equipment design, material characterization protocols, and pre-processing steps like size reduction and homogenization to address these challenges. A critical knowledge gap exists between continuous-level constitutive models and particle-scale behavior. This project developed a novel device to quantify interparticle mechanics between biomass particles, measuring friction and adhesion forces between particles and wall materials. The research focused on corn stover and southern pine forest residue, creating a comprehensive database of particle interactions. This breakthrough enables direct application in particle-based computational modeling, advancing the field's understanding of biomass handling characteristics and supporting the development of more reliable and efficient storage and handling systems. The project's outcomes contribute significantly to understanding biomass's mechanical and flow characteristics, particularly how variability at the particle level affects larger-scale handling operations. This knowledge is crucial for engineering feedstock supply systems that consistently meet quality and cost specifications for various conversion processes. The innovative experimental setup developed through this research represents a significant advancement in biomass characterization methodology. Providing precise measurements of particle-level interactions establishes a foundation for more accurate predictive modeling of bulk material behavior. This enhanced understanding of fundamental particle mechanics enables engineers to anticipate better and address handling challenges before they manifest in full-scale operations. This research opens new avenues for optimizing biomass handling systems through data-driven design approaches. The comprehensive database of particle interactions serves as a valuable resource for future research and development efforts, potentially leading to more efficient and cost-effective biomass processing solutions. This advancement in particle-level mechanics could revolutionize how biomass handling systems are designed and operated, contributing to more sustainable and reliable renewable energy production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Transforming E-Waste Into Strategic Resources: Techno-Economic Analysis of Gallium and By-products Recovery from LEDs via Bioleaching

The growing demand for gallium in optoelectronics and renewable energy applications raises concerns about supply security and production sustainability. This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of recovering gallium and by-products (copper and nickel) from waste GaN-based LEDs via bioleaching. A process flowsheet encompassing transportation, robotic disassembly, ball milling, bioleaching, solvent extraction/electrowinning, and refining was modeled. Based on mass balance analysis, more than 53 tons of LED waste are required annually to yield 1 kg of gallium alongside substantial copper and nickel co-products. Preliminary techno-economic analysis (TEA) shows an average total cost (ATC) of 6.84 USD/kg metal when costs are allocated by mass-weighted economic value (market price) fraction, corresponding to 6.75 USD/kg for copper, 15.91 USD/kg for nickel, and 470.95 USD/kg for gallium. For gallium, direct operational costs account for more than 70% of the cost. Monte Carlo simulations further quantify cost uncertainties under market price fluctuations. This work represents the first TEA of gallium recovery from GaN-based LEDs and highlights potential pathways for future cost reduction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗