The Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management has invested $75 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in a new project to build a new research facility dedicated to advancing the U.S. critical minerals supply chain.
The National Energy Technology Laboratory will lead the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Facility, or METALLIC, project to enable research, development, demonstration and deployment of critical minerals and materials through rapid validation optimization and commercialization of production and utilization tools, DOE said Tuesday.
“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,” said Brad Crabtree, assistant secretary of fossil energy and carbon management.
The METALLIC project will involve the participation of Ames National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Once completed, the Critical Minerals Supply Chain Research Facility will provide support to the Critical Materials Collaborative, the Critical Materials Innovation Hub and other existing government efforts to advance the U.S. supply chain for critical materials.