The Department of Energy has dedicated $192 million to funding opportunities for projects that aim to advance cost-effective consumer battery recycling technologies.
The investment will be distributed to the Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing, and Battery Collection funding opportunity, the Advanced Battery Research and Development Consortium funding opportunity and the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize, DOE announced Monday.
The Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling funding opportunity is focused on influencing consumer behavior to increase their participation in recycling programs. It is also interested in proposals that can lower the cost of recycling to boost market demand for the process. The deadline for applications is on Nov. 29.
The Advanced Battery R&D Consortium is working toward widespread adoption of and commercialization of electric vehicles. It is looking for vendors that can improve supply chain for EV batteries and address other challenges in repurposing such components. Applicants must submit their proposals by Sept. 8.
The Battery Recycling Prize has given $5.5 million in awards to innovators since 2019. This year, DOE is allocating $7.4 million for the fourth phase of the competition, as well as a Breakthrough Contest to provide additional incentives. Participants must demonstrate how their technologies can help transition discarded batteries from consumers to recyclers.
