DPA Title III is a federal program (Title III of the Defense Production Act) that finances actions to expand, restore or protect U.S. industrial capacity needed for national defense. The authority allows the government to provide loans, loan guarantees, direct purchases or purchase commitments, grants, and to procure or install equipment in private facilities; the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy administers the DoD Title III portfolio (often called DPA Title III or DPA Purchases). Title III investments are tailored, mission-driven packages (not simple grants) and can include cost‑share and milestone conditions.
5N Plus Inc. (5N+) is a global specialty‑semiconductor and performance‑materials company (headquartered in Canada) with a U.S. subsidiary and a production facility in St. George, Utah that makes high‑purity, space‑qualified germanium wafers and related materials. The company has prior experience and U.S. government awards for germanium work (e.g., a prior DoD DPA/DPAI award to upgrade and expand germanium substrate production and public statements that it is a supplier of space‑qualified germanium substrates).
Germanium is used for infrared/optical components (lenses, windows, IR optics for thermal imagers and night‑vision), space photovoltaic (germanium‑substrate) solar cells, certain semiconductor and fiber‑optic applications. Refining capacity matters because defense and space systems require very high‑purity, large‑diameter germanium produced to tight specifications; limited domestic refining creates supply‑chain bottlenecks and dependence on foreign sources that can threaten readiness and satellite/optical production.
The public announcement says the $18.1M will expand 5N+'s zone‑refining capacity for germanium metal sevenfold (to >20 metric tons per year) at its St. George, UT facility and support sourcing from under‑utilized domestic sources. That indicates funding for zone‑refining equipment and plant capacity expansion (process upgrades and associated capital investment); the release does not list line‑by‑line spending such as exact equipment models, construction contractors, or training details.
There is no single up‑to‑date public figure for U.S. domestic germanium refining share in the article; U.S. production has historically been small and the U.S. imports refined germanium and germanium‑bearing products. Major global sources and processors historically include China and recycling from zinc and coal byproducts; U.S. reliance on imports and limited domestic refining capacity is why DPA investments are targeting expansion. Publicly available USGS summaries and DoD statements describe the U.S. as dependent on foreign supply and identify China and other foreign producers as key sources, but precise current percentages are not given in the announcement.
The public release ties the award to expanding zone‑refining capacity to >20 metric tons/year and says the earlier DPA awards to 5N+ included multi‑year, milestone‑based conditions; DoD Title III actions commonly include performance milestones, cost‑share, and program oversight by the DPA Title III/MCEIP office. The specific award’s timeline, milestone schedule, reporting or oversight provisions are not detailed in the public announcement, so the exact milestones and deadlines are not publicly available.