Trump Fast-Tracks Two Lithium Projects

Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Two domestic lithium projects, Kings Mountain and Liberty Owl, are on the list for streamlining processing, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said.

Both projects were added to the U.S. Federal Permitting Dashboard on Tuesday, giving them fast-track status. The U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, has worked to shorten the permitting time for energy projects from liquefied natural gas to nuclear power, while scaling back on renewable energy.

On May 30, the DOE announced the cancellation of 24 project awards worth $3.7 billion. Most of that funding cut was for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and decarbonization efforts. For more on that, see June 4, 2025, article - U.S. DOE Cancels $3.7 Billion in CCS, Decarbonization Project Grants.

Lithium, however, has transcended partisan lines. Former President Joe Biden in 2022 used the Defense Production Act to authorize the Defense Department to strengthen the U.S. domestic industrial base for large-capacity batteries used in the automotive, e-mobility and stationary storage sectors.

Trump used the same measure earlier this year to promote the domestic production of critical infrastructure minerals, saying U.S. mineral resources "can create jobs, fuel prosperity and significantly reduce our reliance on foreign nations."

The DOE said the Kings Mountain project would receive $150 million in federal funding to support construction of a facility in North Carolina that could produce 350,000 tons per year of lithium oxide concentrate.

Under the Biden administration, project planner Albemarle (Charlotte, North Carolina) was awarded $150 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the expansion of domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles.

According to Industrial Info's database, Albemarle is seeking permits still to restart operations at an open-pit mine in North Carolina that closed in the 1980s.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project Database can click here to read a project report on the mine restart and processing plant.

From the Trump administration, the other millions of dollars in federal funds would support development of the Liberty Owl lithium plant. Liberty Owl, which would draw lithium from brine solutions, is a medium-probability project in Industrial Info's database. Construction could kick off by 2028, though project developer TerraVolta Resources (Houston, Texas) has yet to determine a location.

Subscribers can click here for a detailed project report.

"Once completed, these projects will help to develop more secure domestic supply chains, strengthening our national security and our economic security," the DOE said.

With few mines in service, the United States remains dependent on imports for many critical minerals such as lithium, with the DOE saying China controls 70% of the lithium market. Demand for lithium and other minerals is accelerating as the global economy embraces cleaner forms of energy, and as modern technologies such as computers and smart phones become ubiquitous.

Apart from bolstering the domestic industry, Trump recently brokered a minerals deal with war-torn Ukraine and has expressed interest in reserves from nations such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).