Critical minerals and materials are becoming increasingly essential to national security and American energy production, particularly serving as the foundation for manufacturers to establish resilient domestic supply chains.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is expanding measures to grow capacity through a $500 million grant program. The funding targets seven projects exploring mineral and material processing, battery manufacturing and recycling capacity across the country.

Through its newly realigned Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI), led by Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson, the DOE team is entering into its third round of funding for the Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling programs. CMEI notes that the capital aims to bolster the domestic battery supply chain and drastically reduce reliance on foreign materials.

"For too long, America has depended on foreign actors for critical materials essential to modern life that underpin our economy, energy security and national security," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in a statement.

Officials divided this latest round of funding into two tiers: $100 million grants awarded to three projects and $50 million grants awarded to four others. According to the agency's release, these initiatives include pilot demonstrations, the construction of commercial-scale facilities and the retrofitting or retooling of existing plants.

Among the $100 million grant recipients is tech provider Lilac Solutions, a lithium-extraction company looking to build a commercial-scale direct plant on Utah's Great Salt Lake. Joining them are Formation Holdings US Inc., which will build a commercial-scale plant to produce battery-grade cobalt sulfate, and southeastern U.S. refiner Nth Cycle, Inc., which processes electronic scrap and carbon mass waste into battery materials.

Among the $50 million recipients is battery materials recycler Princeton NuEnergy Inc., which plans to construct a nickel recycling facility in Georgia. Chemical processor Arcanum Ventures has also been selected to construct a plant along the U.S. Gulf Coast to produce battery-grade ethylene carbonate, a critical electrolyte used in lithium-ion batteries.

Rounding out the $50 million tier are California-based company Elevated Materials, funded to scale its pilot-level tech into a commercial facility for advanced lithium materials, and Coreshell Technologies Incorporated, which aims to build out a domestic production line in San Leandro specializing in silicon-anode materials.

"DOE is taking decisive action to secure the critical supply chains necessary to power our nation," said DOE Assistant Secretary Robertson. "These projects underscore DOE’s commitment to driving innovation, reducing reliance on foreign sources and promoting American energy dominance."

Authorized by President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14154, the federal “Unleashing American Energy" framework drives these selected projects to maximize domestic critical supply chains while fortifying national economic and military interests.