The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) plans to invest $500 million for seven selected projects focused on expanding critical mineral and material processing, battery manufacturing and recycling capacity in the United States.

The funding is the third round of DOE’s Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling programs, which support demonstration projects, commercial-scale facility construction, and retrofitting or retooling of existing facilities for battery materials processing, recycling, and manufacturing projects. DOE said the projects are intended to strengthen domestic critical minerals and materials supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign sources, bolster national security, and advance American energy dominance.

The selected projects include:

• Waterleaf P1 HoldCo, LLC, a Lilac Solutions company — West Promontory, Utah: The project will receive a $100 million federal share to build and operate a commercial lithium extraction and refining facility on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake. The facility will produce battery-grade lithium carbonate and return processed brine to the lake with no net water loss. Phase 1 aims to double current U.S. lithium production and establish a foundation for future expansion.
• Formation Holdings US, Inc., doing business as Jervois — Location TBD: The project will receive $100 million to build a commercial cobalt refinery at a selected industrial site. The facility will produce battery-grade cobalt sulfate and related materials using proven refining technology and establish domestic cobalt processing capabilities.
• Nth Cycle, Inc. — Southeastern U.S.: The project will receive $100 million for a facility that will refine black mass from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap into high-purity metals and battery-grade materials. The project will use Nth Cycle’s electroextraction platform and OYSTER system to establish domestic refining capacity for critical minerals.
• Princeton NuEnergy Inc. — Commerce, Georgia: The project will receive $50 million to build a demonstration facility that will recover and rejuvenate nickel-containing cathode material from battery manufacturing scrap using a low-temperature plasma process. The project aims to create a domestic source of battery-grade cathode material by returning rejuvenated material to production at a lower cost.
• Arcanum Ventures, LLC. — Location TBD: The project will receive $50 million to build a Gulf Coast facility that will produce battery-grade ethylene carbonate, a key ingredient in lithium-ion battery electrolytes. The project will use chemical-processing technology and integrate with existing domestic manufacturing infrastructure.
• Elevated Materials, LLC — Location TBD: The project will receive $50 million to build a U.S. facility producing ultra-thin lithium-metal films and prelithiated materials for higher-energy, faster-charging batteries. The project will scale pilot-level technology to gigawatt-hour production.
• Coreshell Technologies Incorporated. — San Leandro, California: The project will receive $50 million to establish U.S. manufacturing capacity for silicon-anode lithium-ion electrodes and cells using domestically sourced metallurgical silicon in place of imported graphite. The project will pair silicon-anode designs with dry-coating cathode technology and establish a gigafactory dedicated to silicon-anode battery production.

DOE said critical minerals and materials are essential to American industry, energy production and national security, and that expanding domestic capacity will help ensure these resources are processed, manufactured and recycled in the United States.

No longer dependent on foreign critical minerals

In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, said, “For too long, America has depended on foreign actors for critical materials essential to modern life that underpin our economy, energy security, and national security. President Trump is reversing that dependence by securing our critical supply chains, unleashing American industry, and bringing critical materials production and processing back to the United States.”

Audrey Robertson, assistant secretary of energy, added, “DOE is taking decisive action to secure the critical supply chains necessary to power our nation. These projects underscore DOE’s commitment to driving innovation, reducing reliance on foreign sources, and promoting American energy dominance.”