US Congressman Rob Wittman has highlighted that dominance over global supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth elements (REE) represents the next frontier in great power competition. Wittman, who was appointed in June to co-lead the US House Select Committee’s new critical minerals policy working group, is focusing on countering China’s dominance in this sector. China currently processes around 90% of REEs, 75% of cobalt and over half of lithium, with the US relying on China for 16 of its 50 critical minerals.
To address these challenges, the working group, co-led by Kathy Castor, is pushing for rapid advancements in critical minerals recycling, substitution, and mining sustainability. The US is actively developing new mines, seeking international partners, and exploring unconventional resources such as recycling and reprocessing waste from abandoned mines.
George Guthrie, principal deputy director at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), emphasizes the lab’s efforts to establish new supply chains by recovering critical minerals from unconventional sources. These include produced waters from oil and gas, coal ash, and waste from acid mine drainage. This approach aims to recover valuable minerals while addressing environmental concerns.
Globally, similar initiatives are underway. MTM Critical Metals is exploring niobium and REEs in Western Australia and Canada. Michael Walshe, newly appointed CEO of MTM, notes the growing value of extracting critical minerals from waste streams like coal fly ash and spent e-scrap, driven by new technology and global tensions.
In Sweden, significant levels of REEs and other raw materials have been identified in mining waste. Cobre Las Cruces in Spain is testing technologies for extracting cobalt, tungsten, gold, and silver from mine waste. In the US, Missouri University of Science & Technology is recovering tellurium from tailings, and MTM is partnering with Rice University to extract gallium and germanium from waste streams using advanced technologies.
Another US initiative focuses on recovering lithium from wastewater in Pennsylvania, with the goal of meeting domestic production targets by 2030. NETL’s Justin Mackey highlights the potential to extract 30%-40% of US lithium demand from Marcellus shale gas wells, pending further development of field technologies.
The US also faces challenges in extracting critical minerals from coal ash and other waste. Recent research from the University of Utah shows elevated REE concentrations in coal mines, supporting a $9.4 million federal funding request. MTM’s FJH technology has shown success in improving the leachability of REEs from coal fly ash, and further trials are planned.
The extraction of critical minerals from unconventional resources must balance sufficient feedstock and cost-competitiveness. Kwame Awuah-Offei of Missouri S&T stresses the need for policies and incentives to support these efforts. Environmental responsibility remains crucial, as highlighted by Guthrie, who advocates for environmentally responsible development of critical mineral supply chains.
Overall, while unconventional resources and technological advances are promising, they are part of a broader strategy needed to secure critical mineral supplies and manage legacy waste effectively.
