US in talks to fund multibillion-dollar mining initiative for critical minerals - FT

US in talks to fund multibillion-dollar mining initiative for critical minerals - FT

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a significant funding initiative, totaling nearly $1 billion, aimed at bolstering domestic supply chains for critical minerals. This move follows the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) 2025 List of Critical Minerals, which highlights the importance of various minerals, including fluorspar, germanium, gallium, indium, silver, and vanadium.

CleanTech Vanadium Mining Corp. (OTCQB: CTVFF), a company focused on critical mineral resources in the USA, has welcomed this initiative. The company's assets include the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District (IKFD) projects and the Gibellini vanadium project in Nevada. The IKFD projects span 8,150 acres and have historical production of 30.3 million tons of raw fluorspar, while the Gibellini project contains 127 million pounds of V2O5 in measured and indicated categories, plus 195 million pounds in inferred resources.

The DOE's funding initiative includes several tracks, with up to $500 million allocated for battery-materials processing, manufacturing, and recycling; $250 million for by-product recovery at domestic industrial facilities; $135 million for a Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility; $50 million for a Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator program; and $40 million for recovering critical minerals from industrial wastewater. The USGS' 2025 List of Critical Minerals also emphasizes the importance of fluorspar and vanadium, ranking them 47 and 23 respectively in terms of their probability-weighted impact on U.S. GDP.

CleanTech's fluorspar and vanadium projects are strong candidates for this funding, given their potential to recover critical minerals from legacy mine tailings. The company's review of historical records indicates substantial tailings and waste materials across the IKFD that may host fluorspar, silver, germanium, gallium, and indium. The Gibellini vanadium project, with a strip ratio of 0.4 to 1, also presents a promising opportunity for federal funding.

This initiative underscores the U.S. government's commitment to securing a stable and secure supply of critical minerals, crucial for national security and economic stability. As the conversation around critical mineral supply chains continues, investors and financial professionals should closely monitor the progress and outcomes of this multibillion-dollar funding initiative.