Critical minerals are resources essential for building our new energy future that face a high risk of supply chain disruption. Demand for critical minerals for the energy sector could grow as much as six times by 2040, according to the International Energy Agency. New technologies that secure a sustainable supply of critical minerals for the United States are key ingredients to accelerate the clean energy transition. ARPA-E is developing market-ready technologies that will increase domestic supplies of critical minerals. 

In 2023, the Department of Energy declared eighteen critical materials as the ‘Electric Eighteen.’ These eighteen materials will be particularly vital for the clean energy transition, but are at risk because of political, regulatory, or social factors, or simply due to basic availability. 

Three rare earth elements—neodymium, dysprosium, and praseodymium—are some of the most vulnerable critical minerals to supply chain disruptions. High-performance magnets require rare earths for fabrication, and these magnets are used in a litany of clean energy technologies: wind turbines, electric vehicles, solar panels, next generation electric batteries, and efficient lighting systems. The United States has only one active mining and processing site for rare earths, located in Mountain Pass, California, and China is responsible for most processing and refining of rare earth elements globally.

The short- and medium-term supply chain risk for critical materials used in energy technologies. Source: Department of Energy

ARPA-E’s Vision

ARPA-E’s first fully fledged program dedicated to critical minerals research launched in 2011, just two years after the Agency opened its doors. The REACT program focused on cost-effective alternatives to rare earth minerals used in magnets. ARPA-E awardee Niron Magnetics spun out of the program, a company that’s now raised $95 million in follow-on funding and has been named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023.

Following in its footsteps, the MINER program launched in 2022, targeting carbon dioxide-reactive ore materials to decrease mineral processing energy and increase the yield of energy-relevant minerals. The following year, ARPA-E released the Exploratory Topic Algal Mining to source critical minerals from an unusual source: seaweed. 

This year, ARPA-E has released two funding opportunity announcements to alleviate critical mineral supply risks. The CIRCULAR program supports a circular domestic supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, a technology that’s projected to account for over half of all mineral demand growth over the next twenty years. Most recently, ARPA-E announced the Exploratory Topic Phytomines to investigate mining and extraction of nickel from soil using hyper-accumulating plants.

Upcoming from ARPA-E

Over the coming weeks, ARPA-E will feature teams pioneering advancements in critical minerals research that are essential for a more sustainable future. Be sure to subscribe to the ARPA-E Newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook to get the latest updates.

Main Image Credit: USGS