Since the 1970s oil crisis during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, the United States has aimed for energy independence. One of President Trump’s key initiatives, “Unleashing American Energy,” instructed the Secretary of the Interior to direct the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to update its list of critical minerals, including the potential addition of uranium. However, the U.S. still relies heavily on China for rare earth elements (REE), with China supplying almost 75% of American needs. China also refines 89% of the world’s neodymium and praseodymium, essential metals for electric vehicle (EV) magnets. To further complicate matters, the U.S. imports REEs from countries like Estonia, Japan, and France, but these imports are often reliant on materials processed in China. This makes the U.S. vulnerable to trade disruptions with China, a risk highlighted in 2023 when China restricted exports of rare earth extraction technology to protect its industry.
However, researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have brought good news, revealing that U.S. coal ash holds an estimated 11 million tons of rare earth elements. This amount is nearly eight times greater than the country’s known domestic reserves of these critical minerals. Coal ash, the byproduct from burning coal for energy, has long been regarded as waste. This study is the first national assessment of coal ash as a resource. “We’re trying to close the cycle, use waste, recover resources, and reduce environmental impacts,” said Bridget Scanlon, co-lead author of the study and a research professor at UT Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology.
Coal ash extraction offers a significant advantage over traditional mining: the minerals are already separated from their ores due to the burning process, reducing the need for energy-intensive refining. “There’s huge volumes of this stuff all over the country,” said Davin Bagdonas, a research scientist at the University of Wyoming. “The upfront process of extracting the mineral host is already taken care of for us.”
However, coal ash varies by region. For example, coal ash from the Appalachian Basin has the highest concentration of REEs, averaging 431 milligrams per kilogram, while coal from the Powder River Basin has a lower concentration of 264 milligrams per kilogram. Despite this, coal ash from the Powder River Basin has a much higher extractability rate of 70%, making it a more feasible source for large-scale recovery.
Critical Minerals and Their Importance
Rare-earth elements, which include 17 metals, are crucial in manufacturing consumer electronics like smartphones and electric vehicles, as well as green technologies like wind turbines and military hardware. For example, lanthanum, a key REE, makes up to 50% of the materials used in digital camera lenses. A hybrid electric vehicle uses approximately 10-15 kg of lanthanum in its battery. Additionally, neodymium and samarium are essential for producing powerful magnets that are vital in shrinking the size of electronic components.
Recognizing the importance of critical minerals, Trump’s administration made efforts to secure supplies. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned down a proposal from Trump to acquire half of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral rights. These minerals, valued at trillions of dollars, include lithium, titanium, and graphite, all essential for high-tech industries. The proposal, delivered by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, was part of a bid to compensate the U.S. for its military support to Ukraine. Trump suggested that Ukraine owed the U.S. $500 billion worth of resources for past aid. However, Zelenskyy sought better terms, including security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe, which were not included in Trump’s proposal. Zelenskyy’s team has since offered a mineral partnership in exchange for security guarantees.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths, a leading developer of rare earths, has positioned itself as a reliable supplier for the West. “We have the resource, and we have the skills to process it cost-efficiently,” said Lynas CEO Amanda Lacaze last month, emphasizing the company’s capability to meet Western demand for rare earths.
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