The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will be allocating $192 million to fund recycling of batteries from consumer products. The program will feature an advanced battery research and development consortium, as well as the continuation of the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize. The DOE’s $125 million Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing, and Battery Collection program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is designed to improve the U.S. battery supply chain. Program funding will focus on upgrading the economics of recycling batteries, as well as helping states, local governments, and retailers enhance battery collection, recycling, and reprocessing.
The Advanced Battery R&D Consortium funding opportunity will provide up to $60 million to bring together key battery stakeholders, including manufacturers, universities, laboratories, and suppliers, in an effort to “address critical battery needs for the next phase of widescale EV commercialization.” The consortium hopes to discover new or alternative battery chemistries, develop the domestic battery supply chain, and improve recycling capabilities.
The DOE will also be offering $7.4 million to fund a new Breakthrough Contest, as well as Phase IV of the Battery Recycling Prize. According to the agency, the contest is open to industry entrepreneurs and is designed to “incentivize the development of solutions that meet the overall Battery Recycling Prize goal.”
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “The United States is leading the way in developing advanced battery technologies that will power our clean energy future and boost our global competitiveness. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, these investments in battery production and recycling will ensure the U.S. has a secure and sustainable domestic supply chain and strengthens our economy.