NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — The United States Department of Defense (DoD) is partnering with Talon Metals in North Dakota as part of Senator John Hoeven's continuing efforts to research battery materials. The DoD's Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is funding research into methods for nickel recovery from U.S. domestic mineral formations. The plan is for the research to meet the following goals: Increase domestic capacity for battery manufacture. Strengthen U.S. supply chains for critical industries and defense priorities, including unmanned aviation. Reduce reliance on battery and mineral supplies from adversarial nations like China and Russia. This project comes after Hoeven secured a $115 million Department of Energy (DOE) award last year for Talon Metals to construct a battery materials manufacturing facility in Mercer County. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven also worked to secure $2.5 million for the initiative this year, and is pushing to secure another $4 million to expand the partnership in 2025. Workforce Development Council releases 2024 workforce plan “Between this fiscal year and last, we are working to provide more than $6 million for this new partnership between Talon Metals and the DoD," Hoeven states in the release. "This initiative aligns closely with the manufacturing facility we’re working with Talon to build in North Dakota and will address a growing priority for both our national security and our economy – battery supply chains. By enhancing the productive capacity of our domestic nickel formations, we can ensure a better mineral supply for U.S. industry and a more secure battery supply for our military missions. That’s a win across the board.” The announcement comes on the heels of Hoeven’s efforts to build a more secure supply chain for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and other industries important to U.S. military operations, which have traditionally relied heavily on batteries produced in China. The press release says the project will support the creation of good-paying jobs in the western part of North Dakota, and will benefit the state’s coal industry through the potential future utilization of coal ash from coal-fired power stations in Mercer County. Hoeven has also supported the operations of companies like Packet Digital, which is using the $35 million in funding the senator helped secure since 2021 to develop an 80,000-square-foot battery cell production facility. To learn more about the Department of Defense, go to their website here. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW