Lithium refinery grant reinstated
American Battery Technology Company wins appeal, $115 million DOE grant reinstated for lithium refinery
American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) has won its appeal with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and had its full $115 million grant reinstated for a commercial-scale lithium refinery in Nevada, according to Junior Mining Network. The grant, tied to the Tonopah Flats Lithium Project (TFLP), was restored with no change to funding or technical milestones — only an updated project schedule.
The Tonopah Flats site holds an estimated 15.8 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent, making it one of the largest known lithium resources in the United States. The refinery aims to produce 20,000 metric tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide per year, according to Market Screener.
How the Grant Was Suspended Then Fully Restored
The DOE first awarded ABTC a competitive grant in October 2022 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding later entered an administrative review and was suspended in late 2023, reportedly over technical milestone disputes. ABTC filed an appeal to recover the full grant amount.
On June 3, 2024, ABTC announced it had won that appeal. The DOE reinstated the $115 million in full. No funds were cut. No milestones were changed. Industry analysts note that the DOE rarely reverses a de-obligation of this size, calling it a strong signal that ABTC's technical data survived a rigorous second review, according to Junior Mining Network.
ABTC's Proprietary Clay Extraction Technology Sets It Apart
Most lithium today comes from evaporative ponds or hard-rock mining. Tonopah Flats uses lithium-bearing clays, which are harder to process. ABTC uses a proprietary
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