The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $17.5 million funding allocation for four projects aimed at developing a domestic supply chain for critical minerals and materials. This investment, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, seeks to lower costs and reduce environmental impacts associated with the onshore production of rare earths and other vital minerals derived from coal, coal wastes, and coal by-products.
These projects, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aim to address the growing demand for critical minerals and materials within the United States while decreasing reliance on foreign supply chains. Rare earths and other critical minerals are crucial for national defense and the manufacturing of clean energy technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells, aligning with President Biden’s climate agenda.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm emphasized the significance of these investments in building a resilient domestic supply chain while creating opportunities for job growth and economic revitalization across the nation.
The projects will focus on advancing laboratory and bench-scale testing to improve the economic viability of rare earth element and critical minerals separation and refining technologies. By utilizing secondary and unconventional coal-based resources, these initiatives aim to produce essential materials for clean energy, national defense, and commercial applications while remedying legacy mining and energy wastes.
Among the selected projects are plans to conduct pilot-scale testing for obtaining aqueous solutions rich in mixed rare earth elements and critical minerals, producing individually separated high-purity rare earth element oxides, and extracting high-purity gallium and germanium from lignite-derived concentrates.
Moreover, these projects prioritize community engagement and tangible benefits for the communities in which they operate. Community Benefits Plans outline commitments to job creation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and benefits to disadvantaged communities as part of the Justice40 Initiative.
This investment complements ongoing efforts by the DOE to support critical minerals exploration, resource identification, production, and processing across traditional mining and fossil fuel-producing communities. By minimizing environmental impacts and advancing technologies for critical minerals production, the DOE aims to achieve net-zero emissions across the U.S. economy.
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