PHASE I PROJECT SELECTIONS FOR FOA 2618: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW - RARE EARTH ELEMENT DEMONSTRATION FACILITY
Recovery and Refining of Rare Earth Elements from Lignite Mine Wastes — University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, North Dakota) proposes to build on prior technology development to complete a front-end engineering design (FEED) study to recover and refine rare earth elements and critical minerals from North Dakota lignite mine wastes. The project aims to advance technologies that can enable a cost-competitive, environmentally sensitive process to produce rare earth metals and critical minerals from domestic coal waste. The project team previously completed a pre-FEED study that identified key technical gaps; the proposed project will enable the closing of those gaps to de-risk the commercialization pathway.
DOE Funding: $ 7,999,999
Non-DOE Funding: $ 2,000,000
Total Value: $ 9,999,999
AMDREE: Integrated Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage and Rare Earth, Critical Materials Production — West Virginia University (Morgantown, West Virginia) will complete a FEED study for producing rare earth elements and critical minerals including cobalt, zinc, nickel and manganese using acid mine drainage and mineral tailings feedstocks with at-source pollution treatment. Intermediate products will be processed to either high-purity oxides, salts or metals on an element-by-element basis depending on specific market needs. The goal is a facility that will produce at least one metric ton per day of individually separated, high purity rare earth elements.
DOE Funding: $ 8,000,000
Non-DOE Funding: $ 3,704,182
Total Value: $ 11,704,182