Sen Cramer: DOE Selects UND Pilot Project for Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals Recovery

BISMARCK, N.D. - North Dakota's natural resources are playing a significant role in meeting the mineral needs of America's economy and geopolitical strength. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has made the University of North Dakota's (UND) College of Engineering and Mines eligible for funding for its groundbreaking extraction of critical minerals and rare earth elements from North Dakota's abundant lignite coal. This strategic collaboration reduces U.S. dependence on foreign suppliers like China and strengthen domestic supply chains.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) celebrated the award, saying, "North Dakota has long been a leader in the development of our natural resources, benefiting the state and the nation. Extracting critical minerals, particularly through UND's best and brightest researchers and engineers, is the next step. This award will help jumpstart domestic critical mineral production while also keeping our state's excellence at the center of it all."

The Trump administration has made mineral security a priority and continued to explore pathways to secure our domestic supply chains. Today's announcement from the DOE makes UND and other awardees eligible for a portion of the $75 million fund. It secures an opportunity for UND's proposed demonstration project at Falkirk Mine to move forward with industry partners.

In May, Cramer hosted Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey at UND to follow-up on one of the joint projects in operation. Throughout the walkthrough, Duffey, Cramer, UND, and project leaders discussed how North Dakota's growing role in rare earth development could improve supply chain resilience to meet changing defense needs. Although the facility has successfully demonstrated the technology and produced quantities sufficient to validate real-world application, additional investments will support UND and industry partners as they work towards full commercialization.

Duffey's visit followed Cramer's letter to the Departments of Energy and War, highlighting the positive prospects of UND College of Engineering & Mines' critical minerals research and pilot plant from domestic stockpiles of lignite coal. Last fall, Cramer wrote, "For nearly a decade, UND researchers have explored and found effective methods to efficiently extract critical minerals and REEs from lignite coal. This lignite rare earths project would build [additional] momentum and be an excellent complement by supplying the heavy rare earths [other mines lack], enabling U.S. production of the highest-value permanent magnets, while also providing other defense-critical minerals like gallium, germanium, scandium, and synthetic graphite."

In February, the North Dakota Congressional Delegation sent a letter to the Secretary of Energy supporting the grant. They wrote, "This project represents an important step toward securing the domestic supply chain for rare earth elements and critical minerals while advancing innovative uses of North Dakota's lignite resources…North Dakota has long played a central role in strengthening America's energy independence. Projects like this directly support that mission by leveraging our abundant natural resources, world-class mining operations, and strong research capabilities."