DOE opens $12M funding opportunity for ways to expand domestic lithium options for batteries

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a $12 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to expand the extraction and conversion of lithium from geothermal brines for use in batteries domestically.

This supply chain diversification effort could benefit stationary storage and electric vehicles – key pillars of the Biden administration’s net-zero clean energy economy by 2050 and 50 percent vehicle transition by 2030 goals. With this in mind, the funding opportunity focuses on two areas involving geothermal brines: the field validation of lithium hydroxide production and applied research and development for direct lithium extraction.

“A strong, domestic supply chain for lithium is crucial for our nation’s clean energy economy,” said Alejandro Moreno, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). “This investment will support projects working to ensure that we can produce the lithium we need for batteries for electric vehicles and the grid right here at home in a safe and sustainable way.”

Geothermal brines are a byproduct of geothermal power that bring a slew of materials such as lithium. This funding opportunity seeks technologies that could directly extract battery-grade lithium from these brines in a cost-effective way. For the field validation portion, those chosen would offer either pilot or demonstration projects to validate lithium extraction and lithium hydroxide conversion technologies. On the R&D side, projects could advance direct lithium extraction process technologies for greater efficiency, reduced waste, and cost reductions.

Concept papers for the opportunity are due Dec. 9, 2022. The actual performance period for the award will stretch an estimated three years.