Chemours
June 5, 2025
Document 77 - Attachment 2
The Chemours Company 1007 Market Street Wilmington, DE 19801
Secretary Wright,
I am writing to you today on behalf of The Chemours Company ("Chemours" or "the Company"). Chemours provides chemical solutions for industries ranging from automotive, paints, and laminates to advanced electronics, construction, energy, and telecommunications. Consistent with the President's "Unleashing American Energy" Executive Order (EO) dated January 20, 2025, Chemours has prioritized creating jobs and prosperity at home; the Company currently employs over 4,000 workers across 17 manufacturing and research and development sites in the U.S.
Nearly 18 months ago, in December 2023, Chemours submitted a grant application to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) under the Critical Materials Innovation, Efficiency, and Alternatives funding opportunity (DE-FOA0003105). This grant would be complimentary to existing pilot funding through the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The pilot was initially focused on producing Scandium, Vanadium and Rare Earths, however, with news of global shortages of Gallium, Chemours pivoted to prioritize Gallium production and is striving to be one of the first sources of domestically produced Gallium, with initial output achievable as early as 2027. In its application, Chemours proposed to pilot Gallium production at the DLA-funded pilot, which is being built at an existing manufacturing facility in New Johnsonville, Tennessee (the "Project"). With this grant, Chemours will create a new, domestic source of Gallium production, an element the U.S. does not currently produce. The full-scale project could produce as much as 50% of domestic demand. Up until the Chinese export ban on Gallium, China made up about 20% of the U.S. imports of Gallium. The Project is squarely aligned with Section 2 of the President's "Unleashing American Energy" Executive Order as it will position the nation as the leading producer and processor of a critical mineral, Gallium, and subsequently reduce reliance on China. In addition to establishing the nation's first and only Gallium supply chain, the Project is poised to create and support approximately 12 jobs in Tennessee, subsequently contributing to the state's economy.
According to the FOA, project selection notifications were expected in May 2024. When those selection notifications never came, Chemours began reaching out to FECM to check in on the timeline for a DOE decision on the Project. As of the date of this letter, Chemours has yet to receive a decision from DOE.
The DOE grant funding is critical for Chemours to continue with the proposed project in New Johnsonville, TN. If Chemours does not receive a decision from DOE in the next 30 days as the company works to finalize front-end engineering plans for the pilot, we will be forced to delay our Gallium prioritization. This will likely result in a 12 month or longer delay in the ability for Chemours to produce the first primary Gallium in America since 1987.
Sierra Club v. Dept of Energy, 4:25-cv-5027
SC_EVERSPLIT0021501
Secretary Wright
2 -
June 5, 2025
As stated in the "Unleashing American Energy" EO, the Secretary of Energy has a mandate to "ensure that critical minerals projects...receive consideration for Federal support." Consistent with this mandate, we are hopeful that the Project can be approved in the next 30 days so that Chemours can continue to invest and innovate in Tennessee and help develop a robust supply of Gallium and other critical minerals here in the US.
Sincerely,
Damian Gumpel, President Titanium Technologies
Sierra Club v. Dept of Energy, 4:25-cv-5027
SC_EVERSPLIT0021502