Geologists in North Dakota have made a significant discovery of rare earth minerals in the southwestern part of the state.
The minerals, gallium and germanium, are being found beneath 30-foot thick rocks. These minerals are crucial for advanced electronics such as wind turbines and electric motors.
What makes this discovery even more notable is that the minerals come from lignite, a type of coal, making extraction low-cost and environmentally friendly. Samples have shown that the minerals are enriched up to 40 times more than average rare earth minerals.
North Dakota has an advantage due to its abundance of lignite, and there is bipartisan support for reducing the United States’ reliance on other countries, particularly China, for these critical minerals.
The University of North Dakota (UND) is competing with West Virginia University for $120 million in federal funding to construct a processing facility for these rare earth elements. The global market for these elements is valued at nearly $4 trillion annually.