The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, entered an agreement with Talon Nickel (USA), LLC (Talon) to increase the domestic production of nickel.
The $20.6 million agreement, entered into under Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III authorities and using funds appropriated by the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, advance nickel exploration and mineral resource definition of the Tamarack Intrusive Complex (TIC).
Nickel is an essential mineral input to produce high-temperature aerospace alloys, stainless steel, and chemicals for lithium-ion batteries. The United States has only one operating nickel-cobalt mine with a current, publicly announced life of mine extending through 2026.
"This is yet another example of the critical importance of the DPA investment authorities," said Anthony Di Stasio, Director for MCEIP." "This award exemplifies the DoD's commitment to strengthening the resilience of critical supply chains and lessening our reliance on foreign sources of vital materials."
Talon has developed a proprietary suite of geophysical mapping tools, called its Advanced Exploration System (AES), which allows it to rapidly identify and demonstrate economically recoverable nickel minerals. In 2022, Talon deployed the AES at a pilot-scale and they were able to delineate new mineral resources within two additional zones of the TIC in less than one year.
About the Department of Defense's Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience
Industrial Base Resilience (IBR) works with domestic and international partners to force and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future. The office identifies and addresses supply chain/industrial base vulnerabilities, enables production in key areas through investment and innovative acquisition strategies, and manages vulnerabilities presented by adversarial capital. It also enables the health of the workforce through upskilling, training, and professional development opportunities. IBR refines processes to improve effectiveness, coordination, and workload management, and cultivates relationships across the Department, interagency, and industry.