The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $3.1 billion in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to make more batteries and components in America and bolster domestic supply chains. The infrastructure investments will support the creation of new, retrofitted, and expanded commercial facilities as well as manufacturing demonstrations and battery recycling.

DOE is also announcing a separate $60 million to support second-life applications for batteries once used to power EVs, as well as new processes for recycling materials back into the battery supply chain.

The $3.1-billion “Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing” (DE-FOA-0002678) and $60-million “Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second Life Applications” (DE-FOA-0002680) funding opportunities are aligned with the National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries, authored by the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries, and led by DOE and the Departments of Defense, Commerce, and State. The blueprint details a path to bolstering the domestic battery supply by equitably creating a robust and diverse battery workforce by 2030.

The Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing FOA has 12 specified areas of interest:

1. Commercial-scale Production Plants for Domestic Separation of Critical Cathode Battery Materials from Domestic Feedstocks

2. Commercial-scale Domestic Production of Battery-Grade Graphite from Synthetic and Natural Feedstocks

3. Commercial-scale Domestic Separation and Production of Battery-grade Precursor Materials (Open Topic)

4. Demonstrations of Domestic Separation and Production of Battery-grade Materials from Unconventional Domestic Sources

5. from Unconventional Domestic Sources Demonstrations of Innovative Separation Processing of Battery Materials Open Topic

6. Commercial-scale Domestic Battery Cell Manufacturing

7. Commercial-scale Domestic Battery Cathode Manufacturing

8. Commercial-scale Domestic Battery Separator Manufacturing

9. Commercial-scale Domestic Next Generation Silicon Anode Active Materials and Electrodes

10. Commercial-scale Domestic Battery Component Manufacturing Open Topic

11. Commercial-scale Domestic Battery Recycling and End-of Life Infrastructure

12. Domestic Battery Cell and Component Manufacturing Demonstration Topic

The Battery Material Processing AOIs (1-5) will focus on commercial scale domestic separation of battery materials from extracted feed stocks for cathode production and for producing battery grade graphite and other battery grade materials. The proposed materials must be capable of being used in an advanced battery that will be used in electric vehicles and/or electric grid applications.

The Battery Component Manufacturing and Recycling AOIs (6-12) will focus on commercial scale battery cell, cathode, separator, and silicon-based anode production facilities and demonstration manufacturing facilities for new manufacturing processes or techniques. The proposed technologies must be capable of being used in an advanced battery that will be used in electric vehicles and/or electric grid applications.