The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency is planning to buy up to $300 million of lithium carbonate over the next five years to stockpile supplies of the battery metal.
Here are some details:
The agency issued a tender on Thursday for up to 35.6 million pounds or 16,167 metric tons of battery grade lithium carbonate at 99.5% purity.
Bids are due by July 17 for the five-year fixed price contract for the National Defense Stockpile.
Lithium carbonate is refined into lithium hydroxide, which is used in lithium ion batteries.
Defense uses of lithium ion batteries include drones, autonomous systems, portable electronics, electric vehicles, submarines and aerospace platforms.
In March, the DLA, which buys a range of goods for the U.S. military, asked for information from miners on potentially acquiring lithium, chromium and tellurium for military stockpiles.
Also in March, the U.S. military asked mining companies to help boost domestic supplies of 13 critical minerals used to make semiconductors, weapons and other products, the latest example of Washington's push for more access to the materials used widely in warfare.