The U.S. International Development Finance Corp (DFC) and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ will each invest $600 million alongside Orion Resource Partners to launch a new $1.8 billion consortium aimed at strengthening Western access to critical minerals such as lithium and rare earths. The Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, which plans to expand to $5 billion with global participation, will focus on projects already in or near production to accelerate supply to the U.S. and allied markets.
Led by former U.S. energy official Frank Fannon, the initiative marks a deepening collaboration between Washington and Abu Dhabi amid China’s growing dominance in mineral supply chains. Orion founder Oskar Lewnowski said the firm will invest across the mining and processing spectrum to secure essential materials for batteries and clean energy technologies.
Source: Reuters
