Doe Run Awarded $7 Million Department of Defense Critical Minerals Project Grant Under the Defense Production Act

Doe Run has been awarded $7 million from the DoD under Title III of the Defense Production Act. The award further demonstrates the role Doe Run and the State of Missouri have in producing the critical minerals and metals the U.S. economy and national security require.

ST. LOUIS, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Doe Run Company (Doe Run) is pleased to announce it has been awarded $7 million from the Department of Defense ("DoD") under Title III of the Defense Production Act ("DPA"). The award further demonstrates the role Doe Run and the State of Missouri have in producing the critical minerals and metals the U.S. economy and national security require.

The funding objective of the DoD ? Doe Run Technology Investment Agreement is to construct and commission a demonstration plant utilizing the Company's proprietary technology to produce cobalt and nickel products from mineral resources controlled by Doe Run. Cobalt and nickel are essential for national security and advanced battery energy storage and were designated in the Presidential Determination for Critical Materials in Large-Capacity Batteries signed March 31, 2022, to be materials "essential to the national defense." The demonstration plant will be constructed at the Company's existing technology center located just outside the city limits of Viburnum, Missouri.

"Doe Run's research and technology group has been working on a variety of hydrometallurgical processes for over a decade," stated Matthew Wohl, president and CEO of Doe Run. "We have shown at pilot-scale that our proprietary technology can remove a variety of minerals from virtually any feed source. These sources include the products we currently sell, as well as material left behind by historic mining and smelting processes. By partnering with the DoD, we will be able to advance our technology to a demonstration scale and prove that we can extract cobalt and nickel from our current mining operations."

"We could not be more excited about our partnership with the DoD," Wohl added. "With 100% of our workforce and production based in the United States, the government's investment in our proprietary process helps support domestic manufacturing and employment, as well as U.S. energy and security independence. Once we have proven our technology at the demonstration plant, the next step would be to construct a full-scale commercial hydrometallurgical plant at one of our existing mills located in Missouri."

The U.S. currently imports 76% of its demand for cobalt, and 56% of nickel. Cobalt is used for a variety of commercial, industrial and military applications. Globally, its predominant usage is in battery electrodes. Nickel is highly valued as a cathode material and in stainless steel production. Nickel-based superalloys are prized for resistance to corrosion. The aerospace industry utilizes nickel superalloys for jet engine parts. The electric power generation industry, and rechargeable battery industry both require nickel.

About The Doe Run Company

Doe Run is a global supplier and industry leader providing responsible mining and metal production in a sustainable and safe manner. Operating one of the world's largest lead mining districts and one of the largest single-site lead battery recycling centers, Doe Run's minerals and metals resources include lead, copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, antimony, and tin ? all essential in the production of battery energy solutions. Doe Run has operations in Missouri, Washington, and Arizona. For more information, visit www.doerun.com.

Media Contact

Tammy Stankey, The Doe Run Company, 1 3144537661, [email protected], http://www.doerun.com/ 

SOURCE The Doe Run Company