The U.S. Department of Energy said its Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FEMC) will invest $75 million to set up a Critical Minerals Supply Chain Research Facility. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the facility will address the increasing demand for critical minerals and materials, while also strengthening domestic supply chains and reducing dependency on erratic foreign sources.
“Critical materials are the building blocks of technologies needed for the transition to a net-zero clean energy future and for our national security,” said Brad Crabtree, assistant secretary of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
“To help ensure a secure domestic supply, DOE is investing in projects to help accelerate the production of essential critical minerals and materials from a diverse set of sources, working with other agencies and the private sector as part of a government-wide strategy.”
The National Energy Technology Laboratory will lead the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Facility (METALLIC) project, which includes participation from eight other DOE national laboratories. METALLIC will bring together expertise of the laboratories to amplify the impact in critical minerals and materials research, development, demonstration, and deployment by providing rapid validation optimization, and commercialization of critical minerals and materials production and utilization technologies.
FECM has committed an estimated $58 million to projects since January 2021 that support critical minerals and materials exploration, resource identification, production, and processing in traditional mining and fossil fuel-producing communities.
Source: Department of Energy