The United States has allocated 69 million US dollars for key materials projects.

HOUSTON, April 8th (Argus) - The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a funding intent of up to 69 million US dollars for the advancement of technologies and processes for the production and refining of critical materials in the country.
The funding intent announced on April 7th includes three thematic areas, covering the production of critical materials, including rare earth elements.
The first area involves the recycling of production waste and scrap waste. The second project focuses on the extraction of gallium, germanium and silicon, and the third project involves the direct extraction of lithium and the exploration of critical materials and rare earth elements from volcanic geothermal systems.
This funding is one of several projects totaling nearly 1 billion US dollars, aimed at promoting the development and scaling up of mining, processing and manufacturing technologies throughout the supply chain.
The DOE is seeking projects that can bridge the gap between experimental-scale innovation and commercially viable technologies.
The intent deadline is April 21st. The complete application deadlines are staggered by thematic area, with the latest being the third project in the third area on July 20th.