The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said it will provide about $1 billion to advance mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies for critical minerals and materials, aiming to bolster domestic supply chains across all key stages.
The DOE said that up to $500 million will be directed toward processing battery materials and supporting the manufacture and recycling of batteries. This will be split among several initiatives, including a forthcoming $50 million Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) under the Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator program, designed to promote technology maturation, attract capital investment, and enable commercialisation within the United States.
The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) also intends to issue a NOFO of up to $135 million to improve the domestic supply of rare earth elements (REEs). The program seeks to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign sources by demonstrating commercially viable methods for refining and recovering REEs from mine tailings, waste streams, and other materials.
A separate MESC funding plan would allocate up to $500 million to expand critical mineral processing, derivative battery manufacturing, and recycling capacity in the United States. “For too long, the United States has relied on foreign actors to supply and process the critical materials that are essential to modern life and our national security,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said.