The US Department of Energy announced Wednesday $29.5 million for 17 mining technology projects across 12 National Laboratories through the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation’s (CMEI) Mine of the Future Initiative.
The projects, DOE said, will reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, bolster national security, and advance the technologies that will establish America’s long‑term energy independence.
They are focused on moving next-generation mining, extraction, and processing technologies from the laboratory toward field testing and commercial deployment. Applications span underground recovery, autonomous exploration, secondary sourcing, and advanced beneficiation.
Underground recovery
Five projects are advancing in-situ extraction technologies, including electric-hydraulic fracturing at Idaho National Laboratory to low-voltage lithium extraction from clay at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing a mobile rvgdeobotics platform designed to map underground mines and identify mineral deposits in minutes rather than weeks.
Mine waste and secondary sourcing
Argonne National Laboratory is working on recovery of copper, nickel, and cobalt from mine tailings, while SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is developing technology to extract vanadium from aging oil and gas infrastructure.
An Ames National Laboratory is developing a system that uses acoustic and magnetic energy to fracture rare earth ore, coupled with computer vision for real-time sorting.
“Today’s investment is about unleashing the full innovative power of our National Laboratories,” Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said in a news release.
“These projects will advance President Trump’s effort to strengthen domestic mining, protect our supply chains, and ensure the United States leads the world in critical mineral technologies.”
The full list of laboratory projects selected for award negotiations.
