DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation Announces $162 Million To Accelerate Critical Minerals and Materials Recovery from Industrial Sources

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation today announced selections totaling $162 million for nine projects that will recover critical minerals, materials, and other valuable byproducts from industrial feedstocks. The nine projects will support the recovery of a range of critical materials—including scandium, copper, antimony, and rare earth elements—at bench- and pilot-scale sites.

These selections stem from DOE's August 2025 announcement of nearly $1 billion to advance and scale mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies across key stages of the critical minerals and materials supply chains. These investments deliver on President Trump’s Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy and advance the President’s continued efforts to secure domestic critical mineral supply chains and strengthen U.S. national security.

“Leveraging existing bench-scale and pilot-scale facilities is a vital opportunity to produce critical materials necessary for our energy, defense, and economic security,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “By investing in these facilities, we can de-risk commercial scale production technologies to grow new economic and manufacturing opportunities.”

DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory will manage the nine selected projects under Topic Area 2 of the Mines & Metals Capacity Expansion – Piloting Byproduct Critical Minerals and Materials at Domestic Industrial Facilities funding opportunity.

DOE selected four projects for Topic Area 2a: Mines & Metals Pilots—All Industries—Prior Bench-Scale Facilities:

• Anactisis Inc. (Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Still Bright Inc. (Headquarters: Newark, New Jersey)
• Nusano Inc. (Headquarters: West Valley City, Utah)
• SiTration Inc. (Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts)

The goal of each 2a project is to advance the technology readiness level of their process/system from 4 or 5 to 7 (i.e., from laboratory to prototype).

DOE selected five projects for Topic Area 2b: Mines & Metals Pilots—All Industries—Prior Pilot-Scale Facilities:

• Thompson Creek Metals Company USA (Headquarters: Langeloth, Pennsylvania)
• Felix Gold Alaska Treasure Creek Inc. (Headquarters: Fairbanks, Alaska)
• DISA Technologies Inc. (Headquarters: Mills, Wyoming)
• Alcoa USA Corp. (Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• Trigg Minerals (Headquarters: Jersey City, New Jersey)

Previously developed pilot-scale efforts identified for 2b are expected to advance the technology readiness level of their process/system from 6 or 7 to 7 or 8 (i.e., from prototype to pre-commercial demonstration).

Recent announcements include Topic Area 1: Mines & Metals Pilots—Coal-Based Industry and the Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility Program.

Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicant will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time. DOE award amounts are subject to change pending negotiations.