Virginia Tech to lead $10 million critical mineral research coalition in Appalachia
The project has the potential to boost economic growth and job creation throughout the greater Appalachian region.
Virginia Tech is spearheading a research coalition to reveal the untapped potential of the greater Appalachian Mountains region.
This coalition aims to accelerate the identification and characterization of unconventional critical mineral resources throughout the area. It brings together academic institutions, research laboratories, federal and state natural resource offices, and consultancies, all collaborating with the end goal of boosting regional economic growth and creating new jobs.
The research team, led by Richard Bishop, professor of practice in the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering and researcher in the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research, will be funded through a $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The project also includes more than $2 million in cost share from project partners and industry stakeholders, bringing the total project to nearly $10 million.
This initiative is part of the Department of Energy's Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) program, which seeks to establish regional coalitions focused on accelerating the development of critical mineral supply chains from unconventional resources.
Named Expand Appalachia CORE-CM, this project is part of a broader federal effort to reduce dependence on imported critical minerals and support the development of domestic supply chains. This initiative aims to help advance cost effective and environmentally responsible processes to produce and refine critical minerals and materials in the United States.
“We're identifying critical minerals that can be recovered from unconventional resources,” said Bishop. “By unconventional, we mean innovative sources that haven't been fully explored or considered before. These critical minerals are essential for alternative energy applications, such as solar panels and electric vehicles, as well as for components in modern electronics like smartphones, batteries, and semiconductors.”
The Expand Appalachia project builds on Bishop’s previous $2.71 million Department of Energy project, Evolve Central Appalachia. It aimed to develop strategies to enable the Central Appalachia coal basin to realize its full economic potential in producing rare earth elements, critical minerals, and high-value, nonfuel, carbon-based products. The study prioritized a geographic region that primarily included southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, and southwest Virginia.
The Evolve Central Appalachia team collected and analyzed more than 700 geologic and mine waste samples to make an initial assessment of the regional potential for rare earth element and critical mineral production. Team members also prioritized stakeholder engagement, giving more than 50 outreach and educational presentations over a 2 1/2-year period.
The Expand Appalachia project follows a similar approach but will expand both the geographic scope and the type of resources under consideration. The new region of study spans 11 states throughout the greater Appalachian region from Tennessee to Maine. Working with project partners and industry collaborators, the team will collect and analyze various material and legacy mine waste samples to characterize mineral structure and concentration levels. Targets will include both coal and non-coal resources as well as power generation facilities and other unconventional critical mineral sources throughout the region.
The objectives of this project are to:
- Identify the amount and location of critical mineral resources in the region
- Develop strategies to use existing infrastructure, industries, and businesses to drive economic growth
- Create and execute plans to educate and involve community stakeholders
- Prepare and begin implementation of a workforce development plan to train future technicians, skilled workers, and STEM professionals
- Develop plans to establish regional technology innovation centers
The research team will assess regional infrastructure, including abandoned mines throughout the region, and identify industries that could benefit from production. Many coal-producing communities in Appalachia have seen a downturn, but the grant from the Department of Energy could supply fresh jobs. The research team will develop strategies to boost economic growth, close supply chain gaps, attract investment, and enhance workforce education and training.
“The great thing is that we've united as a region, bringing together experts in critical mining and mineral processing from industry and various universities to tackle the challenge of sourcing in-demand minerals,” Bishop said. “The supply chain of these minerals is at risk, so we're assessing domestic sources to determine their locations and concentrations.”
The Expand Appalachia project team partners are:
- Virginia Tech
- University of Kentucky
- Penn State
- West Virginia University
- Bluefield State University
- Marshall Miller & Associates
- Bandy Geological
- Virginia Department of Energy
- Kentucky Geological Survey
- Crescent RI
- Chmura Economics & Analytics
- Gray Energy
- Coalfield Strategies
- US Geological Survey
“For many years, the Virginia Tech Mining and Minerals team has been a national leader in the area of rare earth and critical mineral production and is committed to work that improves the lives of our friends and neighbors through Appalachia,” notes Aaron Noble, Department Head of Mining and Minerals Engineering and project co-principal investigator. “I am excited to see how this new project will advance our efforts and expand our opportunities to secure domestic production of these critical resources.”
