U.S. Department of Energy invests $162M in critical mineral recovery

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected nine projects for $162 million in potential funding to recover critical minerals from mine waste and industrial feedstocks. This initiative aims to strengthen domestic supplies for energy, defense, and manufacturing by transitioning technologies from laboratory and pilot stages toward commercial production. Target materials include scandium, copper, antimony, and rare earth elements.

Selected projects include Anactisis, Still Bright, Nusano, and SiTration for prototype demonstrations, while Thompson Creek Metals Company USA, Felix Gold’s Treasure Creek project, DISA Technologies, Alcoa, and Trigg Minerals will work to move existing pilot-scale technologies closer to pre-commercial demonstration. The program seeks to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, particularly China, which holds significant market share in many critical minerals.

In the private sector, Massachusetts-based startup Phoenix Tailings is utilizing a zero-waste process to extract rare earth metals from mining rubble, or tailings. By mixing tailings with a water-solvent and molten salts at approximately 1,300°F, the company captures metals like neodymium and dysprosium used in automotive magnets. Phoenix Tailings recently raised $40.2 million to scale production, with a new plant in New Hampshire expected to produce 400 metric tons of rare earth metals annually.