University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) recently published a study on the potential for domestic critical mineral and rare earth element production from unconventional sources located domestically in the United States. In particular the study provides a geologic assessment of critical minerals and rare earth element occurrences in coal fly ash sourced from the Powder River Basin, as well as a economic and policy analysis that explores a viable way to produce more of these critical minerals domestically from coal byproducts.
The results of the study show that coal fly ash created from the combustion of Powder River Basin coal holds promise as an economic source of rare earth elements.
“We have really important work going on in SER and across UW through some key collaborations,” says SER’s Davin Bagdonas, the lead author on the study. “In addition to the assessment we conducted, we worked with SER’s Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis for policy support, with the University of Wyoming Department of Economics, and partners at Colorado School of Mines and Idaho National Laboratory to assess the market viability for REE recovery from unconventional ore stocks. This study is very important because it highlights how necessary those three aspects are for successful project development in the future.”
The results of the study are expected to help drive a national conversation on ways to reduce reliance on foreign sourced rare earth elements and critical minerals.
“This highly anticipated article will serve as a very significant resource in a nationwide discussion,” says CEGR Director Fred McLaughlin. “Led by the Department of Energy, the U.S. has been investigating ways to reduce its reliance on REE imports, and to look at current waste products is environmentally astute. I’m very proud of our team for their efforts in providing an in-depth examination on a very timely and important topic.”
The study is also notable for addressing the needed policy framework at the state and local levels that will drive research into commercial applications.
“The policy environment at both the federal and state levels is uniquely aligned to support continued applied research, including commercial investigations, centered on REEs from Powder River Basin coal,” says Kipp Coddington, SER senior adviser and a contributing author of the study. “Understanding the economics of all of this is critically important. With the right policy mechanisms and business models in place, the state of Wyoming could play an important role in advancing these critically needed resources for the United States in the decades ahead. Doing so would ensure continued economic use of Powder River Basin coal, thereby benefiting both federal taxpayers and the citizens of Wyoming.”