Published January 28, 2025
By Christine Reed
A National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) collaboration with the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources (SER) to develop technologies and methods for extracting rare earth elements from coal fly ash has started testing on a pilot-scale production facility at the Wyoming Innovation Center (WyIC) near Gillette.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Technology Commercialization Fund, the pilot plant will scale up the extraction technologies previously developed in the laboratory by NETL, and will work to demonstrate the economically viable production of rare earth elements from coal-related feedstocks.
The study has the potential to launch a new industry in extracting critical rare earth element materials from the ash of Wyoming’s Powder River Basin (PRB) coals.
The project is being led by co-principal Investigators Christina Lopano, a research physical scientist in Research and Innovation Center and Thomas Tarka, director of the Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility, both at NETL. Davin Bagdonas, a senior research professional in UW’s Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR), is the lead SER representative.
Bagdonas, who has published prolifically in peer-reviewed journals on the subject, says there is plenty of opportunities and benefits in using a feedstock that is normally considered a waste product.
“The research supports that there is an abundance of rare earth elements in PRB coal already and that the combustion process of burning the coal for electricity generation actually increases the concentrations of those minerals in the resulting fly ash,” he says. “There is an abundance of the PRB-sourced coal and subsequent ‘waste’ product all over the country that could not only be utilized as an incredible resource in a new industry, but also is helping to address a critical need for a domestic supply of rare earth elements and critical minerals.”
Using WyIC, the project is strategically located adjacent to Dry Fork Power Station and is the first tenant for the testing facility. Construction for the pilot plant was completed in mid-January. Additional support on the project includes the City of Gillette, Campbell County and Energy Capital Economic Development, as well as industry partner and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
“We are excited to be entering the final stage of this project and learning what it could mean for Wyoming while serving SER’s mission of supporting the coal and mining industries,” Fred McLaughlin, CEGR director, says. “We have a lot of local support for this project, and we are so grateful to all of our partners, the efforts in creating necessary infrastructure for the testing on local feedstocks, and for NETL and their innovative extraction technologies. We are looking forward to engaging more with the community and provide updates on this project as it progresses.”
