US Energy Department announces $3 billion for domestic battery production

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced more than $3 billion in investment for advanced batteries and battery material production on the domestic ground.

This fund will be used to complete 25 projects across 14 states to produce batteries. It is expected to have around 12,000 jobs in both construction and operations.

These projects will be administered by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy supply chain (MESC). These projects will retrofit, increase, and build new national facilities for battery-grade processed minerals, battery components, battery manufacturing, and recycling units.

These projects will expand through the supply chain, building and expanding commercial-scale facilities to extract and recycle minerals including lithium, graphite, manganese, and other components.

These components are the most essential building blocks of the battery supply chain, such as electrolyte salts, solid-state electrolytes, polymers for separators, and cathode and anode materials.

Some of these projects aim at traditional and next-generation lithium-ion chemistries and non-lithium-ion technologies to create a diverse range of domestic battery technologies to improve the supply.

“Batteries are critical to strengthening the U.S. grid, powering American homes and businesses, and supporting the electrification of the transportation sector.” wrote DOE.

(source)