U.S. Proposes $162 Million for 9 Critical Mineral Recycling Projects

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 18, the U.S. Department of Energy selected 9 critical mineral recycling projects and proposed a total of $162 million in federal funding to support the recovery of scandium, copper, antimony, rare earth elements, and other materials from industrial feedstocks, mining byproducts, and waste streams. The selected projects still need to complete funding negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy, and no final award decision has been made at this stage.

This selection falls under the "Mine and Metal Expansion — Critical Minerals and Materials from Industrial Facility Byproducts Pilot" program, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, with project management led by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. The program primarily leverages existing laboratories, bench-scale, and pilot facilities to validate critical mineral byproduct recovery technologies and reduce process risks for subsequent commercial scale-up.

Four bench-scale projects will be implemented by Anactisis, Still Bright, Nusano, and SiTration, with the goal of advancing technology readiness levels from 4 or 5 to 7, i.e., progressing from laboratory validation to prototype systems. SiTration's developed process centers on silicon membrane filtration and electrochemical extraction, used to selectively recover copper and other valuable metals from low-concentration mining, smelting, and industrial waste streams.

The other five projects will be implemented by Thompson Creek Metals Company USA, Felix Gold Alaska Treasure Creek, DISA Technologies, Alcoa USA, and Trigg Minerals. These projects already have a pilot foundation and plan to advance technology readiness levels from 6 or 7 to 7 or 8, entering prototype validation or near-commercial demonstration stages.

Felix Gold's Treasure Creek antimony pilot processing facility is proposed to receive up to $18 million in funding, with the company providing approximately $4.8 million in matching contributions through ore supply and other means. The project is located in the United States and plans to validate antimony extraction processes using existing mining resources and facilities, with funding negotiations expected to last up to 120 days. Thompson Creek Metals Company USA, meanwhile, plans to advance associated critical metal recovery leveraging its existing molybdenum processing facilities, while Alcoa's selected project involves extracting valuable minerals from existing bauxite-related waste materials.

These 9 projects come from the U.S. Department of Energy's nearly $1 billion critical minerals program launched in 2025. The U.S. Department of Energy had previously selected projects under the same capacity expansion program to extract rare earth elements and other critical materials from coal and coal-based feedstocks, and this round of funding further expands support to mine tailings, existing industrial facilities, and other non-traditional feedstocks.

Project selection only represents entry into funding negotiations and does not constitute a commitment by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide funding. During negotiations, technical approaches, budgets, matching funds, and implementation conditions will be reviewed, and the U.S. Department of Energy may adjust final award amounts, terminate negotiations, or revoke project eligibility.