Key facts
- The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $500 million in grants to seven companies.
- The grants are for domestic lithium, cobalt, and other mineral and battery projects.
- The initiative aims to reduce U.S. reliance on China for critical minerals.
- Lilac Solutions and Jervois will each receive $100 million for their respective lithium and cobalt projects.
- Nth Cycle will also receive $100 million for processing battery metal scrap.
- Princeton NuEnergy, Arcanum Ventures, and Coreshell Technologies will each receive $50 million.
The U.S. Department of Energy is set to award $500 million in grants to seven companies for projects focused on domestic lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals and battery components. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to strengthen American mining and processing capabilities and reduce dependence on China, which currently dominates global supply chains for these essential materials.
The funding comes as the administration emphasizes building a secure domestic supply chain for minerals vital to the economy and national security. The urgency of these efforts has been heightened by geopolitical tensions, including the war with Iran, which underscores the strain on U.S. industrial capacity and weapons inventories.
Among the recipients, Lilac Solutions will receive $100 million to develop a direct lithium extraction processing facility in Utah, aiming to produce 5,000 metric tons of lithium annually. Jervois is also awarded $100 million to construct the nation's sole refinery for cobalt, a metal crucial for batteries, electronics, and defense applications. Nth Cycle, a battery recycler, secured $100 million for a facility to process battery metal scrap, known as black mass. The Energy Department also allocated $50 million each to Princeton NuEnergy for reprocessing cathode battery parts, Arcanum Ventures for producing battery electrolyte chemicals, and Coreshell Technologies for developing silicon-based battery anodes.
Audrey Robertson, the Energy Department's Assistant Secretary, stated that the selected projects were the most promising and offered the highest return for Americans in critical areas of the battery ecosystem. The funding is intended to build a comprehensive domestic ecosystem for recycling and processing batteries and their components.