The Water Research Institute (WRI) recently initiated two new projects that will advance the production and processing of Rare Earth Element/Critical Material (REE/CM) concentrates from acid mine drainage (AMD).  The new awards were made by the U.S. Departments of Energy ($8MM) and Defense ($3MM) through funding supported by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Capito to advance work on increasing the domestic supply of REE/CMs

In late 2015, a team of researchers at WVU led by WRI director Dr. Paul Ziemkiewicz conceived the idea of recovering REE/CM from AMD – a legacy environmental issue and the single largest source of water pollution in Appalachia.   As envisioned, the process would simultaneously treat the wastewater to discharge standards while producing critical raw materials for technology and defense.  Because REE/CM are soluble in acid, AMD naturally leaches them out of the surrounding rock. Consequently, this process yields a high-grade feedstock without the usual expenses and delays associated with traditional mining, exploration, permitting and infrastructure.  Also, AMD based feedstocks are exceptionally valuable, typically containing over 50% magnet and heavy REEs.

After receiving their first grant in 2016, Ziemkiewicz’s team demonstrated the approach in the lab and went on to further refine the process in pilot and commercial settings.  WVU received a U.S. Patent for the integrated process in 2021. Over time, the team received additional federal and private awards, and the group grew to include numerous academic, government, and private sector partners.  In partnership with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), WRI recently constructed and commissioned the world’s first full-scale plant that integrates AMD treatment and REE/CM recovery at the A34 site near Mt. Storm WV.  The plant is currently in operation and produces a concentrated mixed rare earth oxide exceeding 90% purity.

WVDEP and WRI designed and jointly operate the A34 AMD treatment plant near Mt. Storm WV.  

“Most researchers in this field are still experimenting at the small scale or even on the lab bench.  Thanks to our partnerships with industry and WVDEP, we’ve gone full scale operational.  A34 can treat up to 1,000 gallons of AMD per minute and produce a ton of REE concentrates and several more tons of CM per year,” said Ziemkiewicz.  “Furthermore, our byproduct is treated water that meets regulatory discharge requirements.  We anticipate that companies, agencies and private citizens will license our technology to produce concentrate that can then be sold to a Central Refinery capable of producing market-ready products.” West Virginia Statute, for example, grants the revenue from any such sales to the entity that operates the AMD treatment facility.  So, REE/CM production can offset the costs of operating AMD treatment while restoring streams that are impaired by pre-law mines.”

Ziemkiewicz said that the recent DOE award was one of two made after a national competition.  It will allow his research team to validate its preliminary design for the Central Refinery that will take REE/CM concentrates from AMD recovery plants across the country and produce market-ready products for the nation’s advanced technology industries.  The project will complete the front end engineering design that will be the basis for constructing the Central Refinery.  The U.S. currently has no infrastructure for refining REE/CM and this facility would provide a market for REE/CM producers.  Key partners will include Virginia Tech, L3 Process Development LLC, Battelle Memorial Institute, Rockwell Automation, Solmax and Northrup Grumman Synoptics. 

All of WVU’s REE/CM research so far has involved concentrates made from coal AMD.  Preliminary analysis of many non-coal metal mines suggest that REE/CM concentrates produced from their AMD should be compatible with WVU’s recovery and processing technology.  If true, this would vastly expand the volume of feedstock available to the Central Refinery.  The USDOD grant will allow Montana Resources LLC’s to adapt their existing AMD treatment facility in Butte MT to produce REE/CM concentrate.   Ted Duaime of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology and Mark Thompson, Montana Resources, will manage and monitor the field operations in Butte and ship the concentrate to the A34 plant for processing and evaluation.  Dr. Aaron Noble of Virginia Tech will then undertake a techno-economic analysis to verify its suitability as a feedstock ‘as is’ or whether additional processing would be needed. In addition to the Butte recovery operation, the techno-economic analysis will include a process for concentrate recovery at small AMD treatment sites and utilize existing data from the A34 plant to evaluate the effects of AMD type and operational scale on concentrate quality and compatibility.         

Montana Resources LLC Horseshoe Bend AMD treatment facility will be adapted to produce REE/CM concentrate for evaluation at WRI’s existing A34 facility.