The world is scrambling to re-build supply lines for US-centric battery materials this week, with mining and minerals giant Trafigura and EVelution Energy, joining hands to make a US-based battery metals company, signing a deal for Cobalt this week. At the same time the US Department of Energy has committed $2.8 billion to help some 20 companies augment their existing supply chains for lithium, graphite, and other battery materials processing build outs. Singapore’s Trafigura and the US’s Evelution Energy kicked it off by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a cobalt sulphate processing facility in Arizona, USA. At full capacity the plant will output 7,000 tons of battery grade cobalt annually, helping to satisfy the growing demand for…