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The U.S. Department of Energy has decided to provide a total of $500 million in grants to seven companies engaged in domestic lithium, cobalt, and other mineral and battery projects. This move is the latest action in a series of U.S. investments aimed at strengthening domestic mining and processing capabilities. This round of grants comes as the U.S. government seeks to reduce its dependence on China, the dominant player in the global market, and is committed to building the United States into a “mineral superpower.”
Several weeks ago, U.S. President Trump explicitly set the goal of making the United States the “world’s mineral superpower.” To advance this vision, the executive branch is comprehensively utilizing various tools such as loans, grants, and government investments to incentivize new mining and processing projects, striving to build a more secure domestic supply chain for critical minerals, which are regarded as strategic materials vital to national economy and security. The recent conflict with Iran has further underscored the urgency of this effort, demonstrating that major geopolitical conflicts could place significant pressure on U.S. weapons stockpiles and the industrial base for their replenishment.
Among the funded projects, Lilac Solutions will receive $100 million to build a direct lithium extraction processing facility at Utah’s Great Salt Lake. The facility is expected to begin production by 2028, with an annual output of 5,000 metric tons of lithium. The Department of Energy has previously announced funding for lithium projects by companies such as ioneer, Standard Lithium, and Lithium Americas.
Jervois, which controls a large cobalt deposit in Idaho, will also receive $100 million to build the country’s sole cobalt refinery. This metal is a key raw material for manufacturing batteries, electronic devices, and various weapons. Additionally, Nth Cycle, a battery recycling company backed by Trafigura, will receive $100 million to build a facility for processing battery metal waste known as “black mass.”
Other grant recipients include: Princeton NuEnergy ($50 million for reprocessing battery cathode components), Arcanum Ventures ($50 million for producing chemicals for battery electrolytes), and Coreshell Technologies ($50 million for developing battery anode materials that replace traditional graphite with silicon).
