NETL researchers developed a new process for extracting economically and strategically vital rare earth elements (REE) and critical minerals (CM) from America’s coal fly ash at high quantities and offers several advantages over other available technologies.

Researchers have initiated operations at a pilot-scale production facility to scale up technology developed by NETL to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from coal fly ash produced by power plants and transform a waste byproduct into a valuable feedstock.

The NETL-led Critical Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC) kicked off its five-year mission last year to develop a national capability for establishing new domestic critical minerals and materials (CMM) supply chains, from extraction to manufacturing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced $45 million in federal funding for six projects to create regional consortia to accelerate the development of critical mineral and materials supply chains including novel nonfuel carbon-based products from secondary and unconventional feedstocks. Realizing the value of secondary and unconventional feedstocks, such as coal and coal by-products, effluent waters from oil and gas development, and acid mine drainage will enable the United States to rebuild domestic supply chains for critical minerals and materials. By focusing on abundant American secondary and unconventional sources, these investments will support dependable and enduring supplies for American manufacturing and production of technologies essential to clean energy and our nation’s defense.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), in collaboration with DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), announced up to $19.5 million in federal funding to advance technologies that will help reduce costs for recovering critical minerals and materials from domestic secondary and unconventional sources. The projects will help restore the United States as a world leader in the extraction, separation, and refining of these materials—needed to produce solar panels, wind turbines, and other energy technologies, as well as components for defense systems and other electronics—while reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) recently announced its notice of intent (NOI) to release a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that would contribute to the restoration of the United States as a world leader in the extraction, separation and refining of critical minerals and materials (CMM), which are needed to produce consumer goods such as smartphones and other electronics as well as components for defense systems, solar panels, wind turbines and other energy technologies.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced nearly $10 million for two projects that will help lower the costs and reduce the environmental impact of producing rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials from coal, coal wastes, and coal by-products. Funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the selected projects will help meet the growing demand for critical minerals and materials in the United States, while reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains. Rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials are incorporated into many products, including U.S.-manufactured energy technologies—such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced up to $60 million in funding to create regional teams to support the development of critical mineral and materials supply chains and novel high-value, nonfuel carbon-based products from unconventional and secondary feedstocks, such as coal and coal by-products, effluent waters from oil and natural gas development and production, and acid mine drainage. Realizing the critical mineral and materials potential in these feedstocks would enable the United States to rebuild a domestic supply chain for rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials—which support high-tech manufacturing and the production of components for energy technologies—and reduce our dependence on international supply chains.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $17.5 million for four projects that will help lower the costs and reduce the environmental impacts of the onshore production of rare earths and other critical minerals and materials from coal, coal wastes, and coal by-products. The projects, funded by the Investment Infrastructure and Jobs Act, will help meet the growing demand for critical minerals and materials in the United States, while reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains. Rare earths and other critical minerals and materials are key to our nation’s defense and to U.S. manufacturing of energy technologies—such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management has announced that a NETL-led project focused on accelerating and de-risking critical minerals and materials (CMMs) technology development and commercialization will receive $75 million to develop the Critical Materials Supply Chain Research Facility (METALLIC), bringing the expertise of nine national laboratories to bear on the nation’s critical materials challenges.