Two new Department of Energy (DOE) programs will invest a total of $95 million in transforming U.S. mining practices by developing new technology and processes.
An $80 million program through the DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) will provide federal funding for mining technology proving grounds, and FE will invest $15 million for DOE’s National Laboratories to research strategies to strengthen domestic mineral supply chains.
The programs aim to support the White House’s goal of reducing reliance on foreign mineral sources, the DOE said.
The $80 million proving ground funding opportunity will help establish field sites for real-world testing, optimization, and deployment of next-generation mining technologies. These sites will double as training grounds for miners, the DOE said.
The DOE said it plans to issue the Notice of Funding Opportunity during the fourth quarter of 2025.
Details of the initiative’s goals include:
- Development of mine technology proving grounds that enable the development, demonstration, and maturation of advanced mining technologies at a large scale for deployment at domestic mine sites.
- Accelerated research and development projects for up to two signature mining technologies to be developed and proven at their proposed proving ground facility.
- Collaborative partnerships between government, academia and the private sector, leveraging diverse expertise, infrastructure, and support for technology.
Selected laboratory performers for the $15 million “Mine of the Future Research, Development and Demonstration” initiative will advance DOE’s critical minerals and materials supply chain strategies through activities that will bridge the gap between bench-scale research and commercial scale demonstration.
Letters of intent are due Oct. 27 and full applications are due Jan. 27.
The FE is seeking proposals that focus on the following areas:
- Developing technologies capable of innovating and modernizing the critical mineral mining industry to develop better, novel mining techniques for mining conventional ores that contain critical minerals.
- Developing new beneficiation technologies that can preconcentrate at the mine site along with novel separation techniques to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and improve resource recovery.
- Focusing on in-situ extraction and recovery of critical minerals using technologies that emphasize advanced technological integration with a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
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