Winter 2025 Quarterly Newsletter Releases

The Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC) project, led by the National Energy Technology Laboratory and a part of the CMC, accelerates CMM technology deployment by uniting the resources and capabilities of nine national laboratories. Organized into four centers of expertise—Feedstock Beneficiation, Extractions and Separations, Refining, and Alloy Development—METALLIC serves as a hub for validating, improving, and advancing CMM technologies for a nationwide foundational capability to address critical minerals and materials supply chain challenges. This initiative supports innovators, industry, and government partners in overcoming supply chain challenges and de-risking commercialization efforts, fostering a robust ecosystem for domestic CMM innovation.

Image

Full recyclability of U.S. wind energy systems is expected to become feasible in coming years. A new report funded by DOE and co-authored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories provides strategies to optimize and enhance existing recycling processes. Reuse and recycling activities can help mitigate wind energy's impact on national resources, as increased wind energy technology deployment influences demand for raw and processed materials, including critical materials vulnerable to supply disruption.

DOE announced a $17 million investment in 14 projects through the Critical Materials Accelerator funding program aimed at strengthening the United States' energy security by improving the domestic supply chain for critical materials. These projects will enhance the production and recovery of essential materials used in next-generation technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, and high-efficiency motors. As a CMC-coordinated opportunity, this investment seeks to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, foster economic growth, and promote sustainable solutions to support resilient supply chains and expand the U.S. manufacturing workforce.

Image

In November 2024, DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management hosted a governmentwide workshop on mining and the critical mineral ecosystem, with representation from over a dozen federal agencies. The workshop covered a range of topics, with the unifying goal being to brainstorm opportunities for cross-agency collaboration in service of transforming mining practices to increase the supply of domestically sourced critical minerals while working within regulatory frameworks and abiding by environmental justice principles. Presentations and discussions centered around mining law regulations, subsurface mineral mapping, responsible mining, accelerating materials to market, workforce development, and community engagement. 

DOE announced $45 million to support six projects that will create regional consortia to accelerate the development of critical mineral and materials supply chains. This includes novel nonfuel carbon-based products from secondary and unconventional feedstocks, such as coal and coal by-products, effluent waters from oil and gas development, and acid mine drainage. These projects will build upon the work of DOE’s Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals Initiative, expanding the focus from the basin scale to cover eight regions across the nation.

Image

DOE announced the conditional commitment of a loan up to $754.8 million to finance the construction of synthetic graphite manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The project, which is expected to produce 31,500 tonnes of anode active material for lithium-ion batteries annually, will help meet the growing demand for critical minerals in electric vehicle (EV) production. It is anticipated to create 500 construction jobs and 450 permanent positions, supporting the U.S. transition to clean energy and enhancing domestic supply chains for EV batteries.

DOE announced $44.8 million in funding for eight projects that will improve the economics of EV battery recycling and second-life applications. These projects aim to lower recycling costs, reduce reliance on imported materials, and build a resilient domestic battery supply chain. This funding supports innovations that aim to reduce the costs and improve the safety of the logistics of transporting and dismantling end-of-life EV batteries for recycling, such as safer, U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant reusable packaging, automated dismantling processes, mobile preprocessing hubs, and methods to recycle plastic- and polymer-based battery components.

Image

DOE announced the financial close of a $2.26 billion loan to finance the construction of lithium processing facilities at Thacker Pass in Nevada. The project, which is expected to produce 40,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually, will help meet the growing demand for critical minerals in EV production. It is anticipated to create 1,800 construction jobs and 360 permanent positions, supporting the U.S. transition to clean energy and enhancing domestic supply chains for EV batteries. 

DOE awarded $16 million, including $8 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to four R&D projects aimed at reducing the costs and environmental impacts of solar energy technologies through the Materials, Operation, and Recycling of Photovoltaics (MORE PV) funding program. The funding supports DOE’s Photovoltaics End-of-Life Action Plan, which seeks to halve recycling costs by 2030 and extend solar panel lifespans through improved durability and repairability. The funding program also established the Solar Partnership to Advance Recycling and Circularity to improve materials recovery and safe end-of-life practices for PV components. 

Image

DOE's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) held a Critical Minerals and Materials session during AMMTO's two-day Stakeholder Listening Event on Dec. 10–11, 2024. The session included an overview of AMMTO's CMM portfolio, preliminary approach to R&D prioritization and benchmarking, and an in-depth case study on direct lithium extraction to explore how to develop meaningful key performance indicators (KPIs). This was followed by a panel discussion and Q&A featuring: William Tarpeh, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University; Ryan Melsert, the CEO and CTO of American Battery Technology Company; and Greg Krumdick, the Director of the Applied Materials Division at Argonne National Laboratory. To conclude, attendees broke into groups organized by material to provide feedback on KPIs, metrics, and research challenges and opportunities.

DOE announced $5.5 million for six projects to advance critical mineral alternatives. These projects include developing rare-earth-element-free technologies, like electric motor prototypes and rechargeable batteries, using abundant domestic materials to reduce reliance on foreign supplies. This effort supports clean energy goals while strengthening U.S. competitiveness and fostering sustainable innovation in mining communities. Ultimately, this CMC-coordinated funding opportunity will provide up to $150 million after several rounds to help build a secure, sustainable domestic supply of critical minerals from sources across the United States, including recycled materials, mine waste, industrial waste, and ore deposits. 

Purpose: The CMC newsletter serves to inform its network of relevant events and opportunities in the critical materials space. In doing so, CMC aims to amplify events that align with its mission without endorsing non-federal entities. 

Disclaimer for newsletter: The listing of events herein is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views or support of the United States Government or Department of Energy. 

Selection criteria: CMC objectively determines which related events get included in the newsletter by assessing the event’s relevance to the CMC mission and objectives. To maintain fairness and objectivity, CMC evaluates each event by the following criteria:  

Relevance to critical minerals and materials: The event must be relevant to CMC objectives and focus on critical materials, rare earth elements, or related topics. 

Organizational Type: Events hosted by the following organizations will be considered:  

• Federal entities involved in the CMC or with research, work, or topics related to the CMC mission 
• Domestic universities or academic institutions with research in critical materials 
• Non-profit organizations engaged in policy, research, or advocacy related to critical materials 
• Companies or industry associations with an established history of engagement with CMC, the DOE, or the broader critical materials ecosystem 
• International events may be considered if they have a direct and significant focus on critical materials of interest to U.S. stakeholders. 

Awareness of event: The CMC is aware of some critical mineral and material events, but not all. Email [email protected] if you think an event should be included in an upcoming newsletter, and we will assess based on the above criteria.