The White House has released its strategic review of the nation’s supply chains for critical products and materials.
As a key supplier of bulk solids processing equipment, testing, and parts and service support, FEECO continues to watch the situation closely, helping our customers to respond to the ever-changing industry through data-backed process design and equipment engineering for everything from minerals to specialty chemicals.
What follows are a few highlights from the review relevant to the work FEECO and its customers do to maximize resource utilization efficiency and promote a circular economy through waste transformation and beneficial reuse.
About the Strategic Review
The review is in accordance with Executive Order 14017, “America’s Supply Chains,” which called for a 100-day review of supply chain vulnerabilities in key sectors.
The review lays out the risks, challenges, and opportunities associated with existing supply chains. Several internal government bodies contributed to the work, which covers semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging, large-capacity batteries, critical minerals and materials, and pharmaceuticals and advanced pharmaceutical ingredients.
The 250-page document also brings forth a diverse range of recommendations that take a multi-faceted approach to how the nation can move forward in its efforts to bolster supply chains both domestically and abroad.
Highlights
Among recommendations around sourcing and manufacturing ingredients and finished products for the pharmaceuticals and semiconductor industries, the review lays the groundwork for strengthening supply chains for high-capacity batteries, as well as critical minerals and materials.
High-Capacity Batteries
Batteries for EVs and energy storage have been top of mind as the move away from fossil fuels continues to gather strength. The nation has largely fallen behind the rest of the world in every step of the battery supply chain and must make significant efforts to build a domestic end-to-end supply chain, according to the report.
In terms of materials to support the advanced battery sector, the report calls out cobalt, lithium, and nickel supply chains as particularly vulnerable, with Class I nickel presenting the most risk. Manganese, copper, and graphite are also recognized as playing a critical role in supporting a robust battery supply chain.
Some of the recommendations to address the shortcomings include incentivizing consumer adoption of EVs, financing the production of advanced batteries, taking advantage of domestic sources of raw materials, evaluating federal sites for energy storage opportunities, and more.
Adequate recycling infrastructure, as well as ongoing R&D in all aspects of battery production and recycling, are also needed.
Critical Minerals & Materials
The review stresses the need to invest in both domestic and international production of critical minerals and materials, again, taking advantage of at-home resources, while also supporting international projects that would derisk supply chains while adhering to high environmental and social standards.
Recommendations for addressing challenges in critical materials include establishing sustainability standards, expanding domestic production from both primary and secondary resources, using Defense Production Act (DPA) funds, strengthening US stockpiles, collaborating with allies, and more.
To the relief of many, an interagency team will also be established with the aim of reviewing current statutes and regulations for opportunities to not only ensure that domestic mining is carried out according to the highest environmental and social standards, but also to look for ways to reduce the costs, time, and risks associated with the mine permitting process – something the mining industry has long been asking for.
Moving Forward
The review makes clear that the United States is determined to reduce its reliance on faltering supply chains and strengthen its ability to compete on the global stage. According to the report, the administration will be taking immediate actions to address these supply chain vulnerabilities in order to bolster national security, economic prosperity, and the creation of American jobs.
The administration also plans to improve the ability to identify and address potential vulnerabilities in supply chains near-term, and a Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force will also be established to address some of the immediate gaps between supply and demand during the ongoing economic recovery.
In summary, the nation must take advantage of our resources at-home, while also strengthening supply chains abroad. We must promote increased R&D, foster public and private partnerships, and encourage innovation at home. And all of this must be done according to the highest social and environmental standards.
How FEECO Can Help
FEECO remains a vital resource in the pursuit of maximizing resource utilization and the creation of a circular economy through engineered processes and equipment.
Our Innovation Center provides a unique testing environment for assessing process feasibility and developing the processes of tomorrow. The facility offers batch- and pilot-scale testing for agglomeration/granulation, bulk solids drying, and high-temperature thermal processing, all of which can be employed to reuse process by-products, improve existing mineral and chemical processing lines, and recover valuable materials from wastes. Samples for further testing can also be produced.
Data gathered in the Innovation Center is used to engineer custom equipment and scale up processes. For more information on our capabilities, contact us today!
The White House Fact Sheet is available here, while the full review can be reviewed here.