The Dept. of Energy (DOE) will provide $2.91 billion to boost production of advanced batteries used in stationary energy storage and electric vehicles, as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. DOE intends to fund battery materials refining and production plants, battery cell and pack manufacturing facilities, and recycling facilities that create good-paying clean energy jobs. The funding is expected to be made available in the coming months.
In June 2021, DOE published a 100-day review of the large-capacity-battery supply chain. The review recommended establishing domestic production and processing capabilities for critical materials to support a fully domestic end-to-end battery supply chain. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates nearly $7 billion to strengthen the U.S. battery supply chain, which includes producing and recycling critical minerals without new extraction or mining, and sourcing materials for domestic manufacturing.
“As electric cars and trucks continue to grow in popularity within the United States and around the world, we must seize the chance to make advanced batteries — the heart of this growing industry — right here at home,” said U.S. Sec. of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “With funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re making it possible to establish a thriving battery supply chain in the United States.”
With the global lithium-ion battery market expected to grow rapidly over the next decade, DOE is making it possible for the United States to be prepared for market demand. Responsible and sustainable domestic sourcing of the critical materials used to make lithium-ion batteries — such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite — will help close the gap in supply chain disruptions and accelerate battery production in America.
Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow DOE to support the creation of new, retrofitted, and expanded domestic facilities for battery recycling and the production of battery materials, cell components and battery manufacturing. Read the full notice of intent.
The funding will also support research, development, and demonstration of second-life applications for batteries once used to power EVs, as well as new processes for recycling, reclaiming, and adding materials back into the battery supply chain. Read the full notice of intent.
Both forthcoming opportunities are aligned with the National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries, guidance released last year by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries and led by DOE alongside the Departments of Defense, Commerce, and State. The blueprint details a path to equitably ensuring a domestic battery supply and accelerating the development of a robust and secure domestic industrial base by 2030.
Those interested in applying for the upcoming funding opportunities are encouraged to register to receive notifications about key dates within the application process by signing up for the Vehicle Technologies Office newsletter. Learn more about DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
News item from DOE
“The funding will also support research, development, and demonstration of second-life applications for batteries once used to power EVs, as well as new processes for recycling, reclaiming, and adding materials back into the battery supply chain.”
As technology in anode/cathode and electrolyte chemistries change, second-life applications may become moot as recycling centers will be able to (extract) the common materials needed for advanced battery chemistry pairings for the next generation of battery chemistry for cells and packs. IF done right, second use will be a mining issue by recyclers to turn spent battery packs into new battery materials for new battery cell production along manufacturing lines. It can become possible for battery recyclers to take in the spent battery cells in one door, separate, mine and extract the expensive and still useful battery materials mentioned. lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese or magnesium. I believe graphite in its refined form will become graphene to get more energy density out of future manufactured cells and packs, which again pushes second use towards recycling plants that can use solar PV and or wind generation with microgrids containing some of the very battery packs recycled by the plant to actually retrieve these materials and have their own manufacturing line for new batteries. Spent batteries up front, new battery cells and packs out the shipping bays.