$ 10 million to create new and alternative sources of crucial vitamins and substances

The Investing in America Agenda promotes cutting-edge, clean energy technologies to improve concerned domestic supply chains and lessen our government’s reliance on foreign sources.

The U.S. Department of Energy ( DOE ) announced today that the country will invest$ 10.2 million in four projects to advance cost-effective and environmentally responsible methods for producing and refining crucial minerals and materials here in the United States in support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. By developing new and other resources through a wide range of local sources, the money provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us lessen our dependence on offshore products as a result of the increase in the demand for crucial minerals and materials. Essential vitamins and substances are important to manufacturing fresh strength technologies—such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen gas cells—that will help America approach the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious climate goals. This money chance may lead to high-paying professions and help rural communities that have historically relied on energy and mine to support their prosperity.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm stated that “america’s fresh strength and manufacturing boom will require a lot of crucial minerals and materials.” As a result, developing sustainable local resources to meet this need has become a priority under the Obama administration. We are investing in cutting-edge technology and methods to enhance our energy security while protecting limited material sources.

According to the U. S. Geological Survey, more than 95 % of the U. S. desire for rare earth elements comes from international resources, more than 50 % of most essential minerals come from overseas sources, and at least 12 essential minerals come primarily from foreign sources.

Critical Material Innovation, Efficiency, and Alternatives

The” Critical Material Innovation, Efficiency, and Alternatives” funding opportunity announcement ( FOA ) will provide up to$ 150 million over several rounds of project selections to help to 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. Specifically, the FOA will support bench- and pilot-scale research, development, and demonstration projects to increase the robustness of domestic supply chains and reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains. The” Alternative Materials” area of interest covers the first four projects chosen for negotiation, which are aimed at creating important mineral and material alternatives and substitutes:

Idaho National Laboratory, Battelle Energy Alliance LLC ( Idaho Falls, Idaho ) plans to develop a novel and fully domestic decarbonized pathway to manufacture high-purity synthetic graphite, along with other durable carbon-based materials, from carbon dioxide-based feedstocks.
• The Iowa State University of Science and Technology ( Ames, Iowa ) intends to combine the production of hydrogen using highly energy-efficient chemical processes from the recycling of permanent magnets.
• The University of Pennsylvania, University Park, Pennsylvania, intends to conduct research into the potential uses of boron nitride as a material substitute for gallium in the production of semiconductor devices, which are largely unproduced in the United States.
• Aspen Aerogels, Inc. ( Northborough, Massachusetts ) plans to scale up their lithium iron phosphate-based battery technology from bench‐scale to pilot‐scale for use in electric vehicles—as an alternative to lithium‐ion batteries that require key critical materials, such as nickel and cobalt, that are largely sourced from outside the United States.

Here is a detailed list of the projects and funding amounts that were chosen. At a later time, DOE intends to make additional selections for the FOA’s remaining areas of interest.

In addition to their applications, the selected project teams were required to submit Community Benefits Plans that would demonstrate meaningful involvement with and tangible benefits for the communities where these projects will be located. These plans provide details on their commitments to quality job creation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and benefits to disadvantaged communities as part of the Justice40 Initiative. The President’s Justice40 Initiative sets a goal that 40 % of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

DOE’s Broader Advancements in Critical Minerals and Materials

In addition to today’s announcement, DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management ( FECM) has committed an estimated$ 161 million since January 2021 for projects that support critical minerals and materials exploration, resource identification, production, and processing in traditional mining and fossil fuel-producing communities across the country.

FECM strives to achieve net-zero emissions across the U.S. economy while minimizing the effects of fossil fuels and industrial processes. Priority areas of technology work include carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements, and visit the National Energy Technology Laboratory website.

Courtesy of Department of Energy