In today’s construction news, read about a rancher in Arizona who has witnessed a large influx of migrants pass through his property, which he attributes to both the current border issue and the Biden administration’s inability to complete the wall that Trump ordered built. On the other hand, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has released a new list of 25 recipients for its grant programs for battery materials processing, battery manufacturing, and battery recycling. These two funding mechanisms have allocated a total of US$16 billion to advance battery manufacturing, processing, and recycling across the nation.
Rancher in Battleground State ‘outraged’ by Biden Suspending Wall Construction as Migrants Flood US
Original Source: Battleground state rancher ‘outraged’ by Biden stopping wall construction as migrants pour into US
An Arizona rancher blames the border problem and the Biden administration’s failure to finish Trump-era wall building for the enormous number of migrants who cross through his land.
Jim and Sue Chilton operate a vast cattle ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border. Former President Donald Trump completed almost 450 miles of border wall, including new and replacement fence and other barriers.
Some construction occurred on the Chilton ranch with plans to continue. After President Biden entered office in 2021, development abruptly halted. Contracts were canceled and a length of Chilton ranch was left open or with easy-to-cross Normandy barriers. Some building has occurred under Biden, but mostly repairs and small gaps.
Chilton rages.
“I’m furious President Biden blocked the wall. “The wall works,” July Republican National Convention speaker Jim Chilton told Fox News Digital at his property.
“It’s 32 feet high with a five-foot metal top, difficult to cross. Each boltard contains cement. He stated it’s difficult to cut.
Biden stopped Trump’s wall. “I hope Trump wins to finish the wall and secure the border,” he stated.
After the government took office, southern border apprehensions reached record highs. Although those numbers have dropped this year, Chilton says he has tracked over 3,560 suspected illegal aliens on his ranch cameras. He’s photographed several of them.
He worries about migrants attempting to hide in camouflage, not those who turn themselves in to Border Patrol or a humanitarian group near the wall gap. Backpacks are left on the Mexican side of the wall for the next party crossing.
“People go north in carpet shoes and camouflage. These are serious men,” Chilton said “They want to hide in the US. The Border Patrol rarely catches them. Many are carrying drugs or other contraband. MS-13 gangsters are trying to enter. They don’t desire capture.”
Border security crisis coverage: click here
Migrants face grave risks. In the severe Arizona heat, migrants can dehydrate, disorient, or fall and damage themselves, and the immensity of the environment makes them hard to discover. To prevent migrants from dehydrating on his ranch, Chilton has installed several taps on his cattle’s water sources. He opposes illegal immigration but doesn’t want people to die.
Trump has pledged mass deportation and wall construction if re-elected. The Biden administration has advocated widening lawful paths and imposing “consequences” for illicit immigration, calling fences ineffectual.
Since President Biden enacted an executive order banning U.S. immigration in June, numbers have decreased by more than 50%. In 2023, numbers reached record highs.
Chilton knows that most migrants who get deep into the ranch are trying to hide, but he carries a rifle and drew it when approaching particular locations when patrolling the ranch with Fox News Digital.
A ranch owner since the early 1990s, Chilton accused Biden and Vice President Harris of “welcomed people to come into the United States, and they’ve done everything possible to make it very desirable.”
He cited tales of migrants receiving free travel, bank cards, medical care, and accommodation in some areas.
Why aren’t we hiring veterans and bring in more job seekers? Why do we house undocumented people when our citizens don’t get free hotels? I ask why?”
Major Battery Production Construction is Funded by US Energy
Original Source: Billions for batteries: US Energy funding major battery manufacturing construction
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new list of 25 selectees for its Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling grant programs, which will fund US$16 billion in battery manufacturing, processing, and recycling.
The fund will give more than $3 billion to the latest initiatives (‘round two’). In ‘round one’ this year, the DOE granted $1.82 billion to 14 projects.
With billions left to invest, the news should make large-scale manufacturing facility building possible across the US. The government said the investment will boost domestic EV and ESS markets.
Commercial-scale facilities to extract lithium, graphite, and other minerals for battery and battery-component manufacturing are the DOE’s round-one focus. On September 23, DOE announced that round-one awards were issued and one was completed.
Round-two projects usually increase battery production countrywide and demonstrate novel component manufacturing and material recycling methods. Round-one grants have been issued, but round-two selectees need government approval.
Round-one and round-two winners’ four biggest awards are listed here.
The Kentucky ‘Apex’ plan received approximately $500 million.
Project Details
Apex—Integrated Sustainable Battery Precursor & Active Material Production Plant
Applicants: Ascend Elements
Hopkinsville, KY
Federal cost share: $480 million ($316 million + $164 million).
Segment: Cathode mineral processing and component manufacture
Turner Construction, Kokosing Industrial
Two projects on the same property received about $500 million.
Ascend Elements, an independent innovative battery maker in Massachusetts, received two of the top three grants among the 14 plans.
The ISBP and ISBAMPP schemes are integrated sustainable battery precursors and active materials.
The Apex ISBP project will build a 315,000 sq ft (29,264m2) industrial-scale facility called ‘Apex 1’ on a 140-acre (57-hectare) campus to produce “sustainable, low-cost precursor cathode materials by integrating the separation of critical cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) with the production of both pCAM and metal salts to support domestic CAM production.”
Assuming the factory produces 750,000 EVs per year, the CAM will be used in LiBs for EVs and ESS.
At the same site, ISBAMPP will build a complementary CAM facility.
DOE stated the facility will have various manufacturing buildings and produce 13,608 tonnes of battery-grade metal salts and 18,144 tonnes of advanced pCAM every year.
The CAM facility will include a manufacturing building and processing equipment to turn precursor materials into CAM.
When finished, the mill will produce 20,000 metric tons of CAM annually.
DOE estimates that the project will create about $4.4 billion in economic effect during development and the first decade of operation at the Apex site. Apex opens in 2025.
Brine for battery production wins $450M
The two grant recipients with the most cash will create infrastructure to enable brine-based lithium battery production plants and receive $225 million each.
Project Details
Commercial Domestic Production of Lithium Carbonate from Southern Arkansas Smackover Formation Brines Using Direct Lithium Extraction Technology
Standard Lithium and Equinor JV applied.
Lewisville, Arkansas, USA
$225 million federal share
Raw Materials Segment
Ausenco Engineering Canada designs and engineers
The DOE expects the SWA Lithium project to be one of the first commercial-scale DLE plants. Its lithium carbonate plant will use local brine.
At maximum capacity, the project could generate 45,000 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate per year over 20 years, according to the DOE. SWA has some of North America’s highest lithium brine contents, with a maximum of 597mg/L and an average of 437mg/L.
A joint venture between Equinor, a Canadian technology and lithium development firm, and Standard Lithium, a US brine chemical company, is planning numerous facilities on 118 acres in western Kentucky, US.
SWA Lithium hired Ausenco Engineering Canada for feasibility and front-end engineering and design.
Project Details
Commercial Lithium Extraction Facility from Domestic Brine
TerraVolta Resources, applicant
Texarkana (Texas and Arkansas)
$225 million federal share
Raw Materials Segment
TerraVolta Resources’ Texas-Arkansas border project uses local brine for battery-grade lithium carbonate equivalent, like SWA Lithium.
Texas-based TerraVolta explores, produces, and supplies minerals.
DOE stated, “The project objective is to design, build and operate a commercial-scale lithium extraction and refining facility to produce battery-grade lithium from domestic brine resources.”
The project is expected to produce 25,000 tonnes of LCE per year, enough to power 500,000 EVs and reduce 2.2 million metric tons of CO2.
The DOE said the facility will refine brine-extracted lithium chloride (LiCl) into battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li2CO3).
Summary of today’s construction news
To sum it up, if re-elected, Trump has pledged to build the wall and begin a mass deportation program. The Biden administration has declared walls useless, advocated for the expansion of legal routes, and imposed “consequences” for unauthorized access.
On the other hand, once finished, the plant is anticipated to produce 25,000 metric tons of LCE a year, enough to power 500,000 electric vehicles and remove 2.2 million metric tons of CO2 annually. According to the DOE, the facility will have the capacity to refine lithium chloride (LiCl) that is collected from brine into battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li2CO3).
