CASPER, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming said on April 30 that the U.S. Department of Energy will provide about $3 million in funding “for research focused on expanding and transforming the use of coal and coal-based resources to produce coal-based products, using carbon ore, rare earth elements (REE) and critical minerals (CM).”
“Two separate projects submitted by UW’s School of Energy Resources (SER) Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) were selected by the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and announced this week,” UW said. “The funds will cover research in the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming and Montana and the Greater Green River and Wind River basins (GGRB-WRB) of Wyoming and Colorado.”
Overall, the DOE selected 13 projects across the U.S. which will receive a total of $19 million in funding.
“SER is thrilled to have received these grants from the Department of Energy,” UW School of Energy Resources Executive Director Holly Krutka said in the release. “We are honored to collaborate with stakeholders around the state and region to lead a research program focused on building the tools needed to support a rare earths and critical minerals industry.”.
UW says that the United States has been “heavily reliant” on rare earth elements imported from China. With demand for such elements on the rise, the U.S. is seeking alternative domestic sources.
UW says that efforts conducted by the DOE and the National Energy Technology Laboratory have made it more feasible to recover rare earth elements from coal-based resources and that Wyoming is poised too support research in this area, as well as research into carbon ore and critical minerals.
Research in the Powder River Basin will be lead by School of Energy Resources (SER) Senior Research Scientist Erin Phillips. The research project in the Greater Green River and Wind River basins will be lead be SER Associate Research Scientist Davin Bagdonas.
Phillips said that the research at the Powder River Basin will “investigate all aspects” of carbon ore, rare earth element and critical minerals resource development and has goals to catalyze economic growth and promote job creation.
Both research projects will run for two years under Phase 1. The first phase of the research will involve putting together an assessment of carbon ore, rare earth and critical minerals resources, evaluating field data, preparing economic development activity plans and develop outreach and education plans, according to UW.
“If successful in these preliminary activities, the projects will be able to apply for additional funding in Phases 2 and 3,” UW said. “The projects will play a critical role in advancing the directive set forth by Gov. Mark Gordon to strive toward net-negative carbon emissions”
“I couldn’t be more excited for these projects,” School of Energy Resources Center for Economic Geology Research Director Scott Quillinan said in UW’s release. “Wyoming, Colorado and Montana have vast natural resources, and we are just beginning to learn the full potential of REE and CM resources associated with coal seams.”
“It is interesting even though the two projects overlap much of Wyoming, the rare earth element and critical mineral resources located in each of the basins are very different. These projects will lay the framework for new industries in each of these basins.”
