[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36394-36395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12918]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Battery Critical 
Materials Supply Chain R&D

AGENCY: Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on 
its Request for Information (RFI) number DE-FOA-0002358 regarding the 
BATTERY CRITICAL MATERIALS SUPPLY CHAIN R&D. This RFI pertains to a 
Research & Development (R&D) Battery Critical Materials Supply Chain 
Workshop planned to be hosted by the Office of Energy Efficiency & 
Renewable Energy (EERE), Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), 
Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) and Vehicle Technologies Office 
(VTO). The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, 
academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other 
stakeholders on issues related to challenges and opportunities in the 
upstream and midstream critical materials battery supply chains. Such 
input will inform the agenda of the R&D Battery Critical Materials 
Supply Chain Workshop planned for the fall of 2020 to determine 
opportunities, gaps, and bottlenecks in the battery cathode materials 
supply and the value chain.

DATES: Responses to the RFI must be received by July 16, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are to submit comments electronically to 
[email protected]. Include Battery Critical 
Materials Supply Chain R&D in the subject of the title. Only electronic 
responses will be accepted. The complete RFI document is located at 
https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Question may be addressed to Helena 
Khazdozian at 202-586-9236 or [email protected]. 
Further instruction can be found in the RFI document posted on EERE 
Exchange.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this RFI is to solicit 
feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government 
agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to challenges and 
opportunities in the upstream and midstream critical materials battery 
supply chains. EERE is specifically interested in information on raw 
minerals production and refining and processing of cathode materials 
including cobalt, lithium, and battery grade (Class I) nickel.\1\ 
Informed by previous roundtable discussions, EERE plans to organize an 
R&D Battery Critical Materials Supply Chain Workshop in the fall of 
2020 to determine opportunities, gaps, and bottlenecks in the battery 
cathode materials supply and the value chain. This workshop will be 
guided by the goal to create a diverse, domestic battery supply chain 
in the next 5 years. EERE is specifically seeking input on the current 
state of the battery cathode materials supply chains and gaps and 
opportunities for near-term and long-term R&D. Such input will inform 
the agenda of the workshop planned for next fall as well as to inform 
the development of the R&D roadmap as part of implementation of the 
Federal Strategy. Specific questions can be found in the RFI. The RFI 
is available at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.
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    \1\ Nickel is not a critical mineral commodity on the list 
published by the Secretary of Interior. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/05/18/2018-10667/final-list-of-critical-minerals-2018.
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Confidential Business Information

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that 
he or she believes to be confidential and

[[Page 36395]]

exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via email, postal 
mail, or hand delivery two well-marked copies: One copy of the document 
marked ``confidential'' including all the information believed to be 
confidential, and one copy of the document marked ``non-confidential'' 
with the information believed to be confidential deleted. Submit these 
documents via email or on a CD, if feasible. DOE will make its own 
determination about the confidential status of the information and 
treat it according to its determination.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 1, 
2020, by Valri Lightner, Acting Director, Advanced Manufacturing 
Office, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, pursuant to 
delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with 
the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For 
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of 
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the 
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document 
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way 
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on June 11, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-12918 Filed 6-15-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P