The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) has announced $500 million for seven selected projects to expand critical mineral and material processing, battery manufacturing, and recycling capacity.
In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy, the selected projects advance the President’s agenda to strengthen America’s domestic critical minerals and materials supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign sources, bolster national security, and advance American energy dominance.
“DOE is taking decisive action to secure the critical supply chains necessary to power our nation,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “These projects underscore DOE’s commitment to driving innovation, reducing reliance on foreign sources, and promoting American energy dominance.”
This is the third round of funding from DOE’s Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling programs, which support battery materials processing, recycling, and manufacturing projects. These include demonstration projects, construction of commercial-scale facilities, and retrofitting or retooling existing facilities.
The selected projects include:
- Nth Cycle, Inc.: Southeastern U.S.
- Federal share: $100 million
- The outcome of this project will be a facility in the Southeastern United States that refines black mass from end‑of‑life lithium‑ion batteries and manufacturing scrap into high‑purity metals and battery‑grade materials, using Nth Cycle’s electroextraction platform and OYSTER system – helping to close the gap in midstream processing here in the U.S. This project will establish domestic refining capacity for critical minerals, reducing U.S. reliance on China and other foreign sources for materials essential to energy, defense, and industrial applications.
- Princeton NuEnergy Inc.: Commerce, GA
- Federal share: $50 million
- This project will build a demonstration facility in Georgia to recover and rejuvenate nickel‑containing cathode material from battery manufacturing scrap using a low‑temperature plasma process. The effort aims to create a domestic source of battery‑grade cathode material by rapidly returning rejuvenated material to production at significantly lower cost.
- Arcanum Ventures, LLC.: Location TBD
- Federal share: $50 million
- This project will construct a facility in the United States Gulf Coast to produce battery‑grade ethylene carbonate, a key ingredient in lithium‑ion battery electrolytes, using proven chemical‑processing technology. By integrating with existing domestic manufacturing infrastructure, the project will improve supply reliability and reduce dependence on imports for this critical material.
- Elevated Materials, LLC: Location TBD
- Federal share: $50 million
- This project will build a facility in the United States to produce ultra‑thin lithium‑metal films and prelithiated materials that enable higher‑energy, faster‑charging batteries. This project scales proven pilot‑level technology to gigawatt‑hour production, addressing the lack of a safe, cost‑effective domestic manufacturing process for advanced lithium‑anode materials.
- Coreshell Technologies Incorporated.: San Leandro, CA
- Federal share: $50 million
- This project will establish U.S. manufacturing capacity for silicon‑anode lithium‑ion electrodes and cells, replacing imported graphite with domestically sourced metallurgical silicon. By pairing silicon‑anode designs with dry‑coating cathode technology, the project will reduce costs, improve safety, and create the first U.S. gigafactory dedicated to silicon‑anode battery production.
- Waterleaf P1 HoldCo, LLC, a Lilac Solutions company: West Promontory, UT
- Federal share: $100 million
- This project will build and operate a commercial lithium extraction and refining facility on the Great Salt Lake’s northeastern shore, producing battery‑grade lithium carbonate while returning processed brine back to the lake with no net water loss. Phase 1 aims to double current U.S. lithium production and lay the groundwork for future expansion, supported by successful pilot testing and completed front‑end engineering.
- Formation Holdings US, Inc. doing business as Jervois: Location TBD
- Federal share: $100 million
- This project will build a commercial cobalt refinery at a selected industrial site to produce battery‑grade cobalt sulfate and related materials using proven refining technology. Once operational, it will establish long‑needed domestic processing capabilities supported by a completed feasibility study and extensive industry experience.
