Sustainable Management of Rare Earth Element Reserves

CAN THE SEAFLOOR SET US FREE? Building U.S. Independence in Rare Earths and Strategic Metals. For too long, the U.S. has relied on fragile supply chains dominated by China for rare earth elements (REEs)—critical inputs for everything from fighter jets to EV batteries. That’s a strategic vulnerability we can no longer afford. Here’s how we fix it: 1. Invest at Home: The Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine and Processing Facility, is an open-pit mine of rare-earth elements on Clark Mountain Range in California. In 2020 the mine supplied 15.8% of the world's rare-earth production. However, we must build domestic refining and separation capacity—not just dig, but finish the job. 2. Expand U.S. Resource Base: The U.S. holds untapped rare earth potential across several novel sources: coal ash and acid mine drainage in Appalachia offer access to heavy REEs; phosphorite deposits in Florida, Idaho, and North Carolina yield light REEs as fertilizer byproducts; Bokan Mountain in Alaska and Bear Lodge in Wyoming provide hard rock and clay-hosted REE deposits. With the right tech and investment, these resources could power a domestic and resilient REE supply chain. 3. Deepen Ally Partnerships: Australia, Japan, and Canada are investing in non-Chinese REE chains. The U.S. should double down on these partnerships to build a resilient, democratic mineral alliance. 4. Fund Breakthrough Tech: This includes bioleaching with engineered microbes, membrane-based separations that replace toxic solvents, and AI-driven process optimization to boost efficiency from unconventional sources like coal ash and phosphates. Pairing these with pilot plants near key resource sites will prove viability and scale fast. 5. Look Beyond REEs—Secure the Entire Supply Chain: Polymetallic nodules on the seafloor of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone won’t solve REE supplies, but offer staggering quantities of nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese—all essential for electric vehicles, batteries, and the grid. No digging. No blasting. Just pure potential. And if you’re looking for heavy rare earth elements (HREEs)—the kinds needed for advanced missile systems, lasers, and wind turbines—look to the seafloor muds near Minamitorishima Island in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone. These deep-sea sediments contain some of the richest known concentrations of HREEs on Earth, including yttrium, terbium, dysprosium, and europium—all with strong potential for scalable extraction. Japan is already investing in this frontier, and the U.S. should be leaning in as a strategic partner to help turn this promise into production. The future is built from the ground up—or in this case, from the ocean floor up. Let’s secure it. #RareEarths #CriticalMinerals #CleanEnergy #SupplyChainSecurity #DeepSeaMining #PolymetallicNodules #Geopolitics #MineralIndependence #BatteryMetals #NationalSecurity #InnovationEconomy

India’s rare earth future lies not just beneath the ground, but also in how intelligently we recover, process, and reuse what is already in circulation. My op-ed in the Deccan Herald argues that India's rare earth strategy must walk two paths simultaneously: Path 1: Leveraging reserves for long-term strategic security, and Path 2: Scaling the circular economy by recycling batteries, magnets, and e-waste to build near-term momentum in refining, processing, and magnet manufacturing. India’s rare earth challenge is often framed as a mining problem. But that is only halfthe story. Recycling of batteries, electronic and industrial waste is another source of rare earths which is gaining in importance. Together, these pathways can reduce import dependence, strengthen critical mineral supply chains, and support domestic manufacturing across EVs, renewables, electronics, and defence. #rareearthminerals #makeinindia #entrepreneurship #startups

If this isn’t a wake up call, I don’t know what is. China imposing restrictions on the REEs export can be very difficult for India. Rare earth elements aren't rare. But access to them is. And in the race toward clean energy, that’s a problem most people are ignoring. Today, China controls over 68% of global REE mining and 86% of exports. These numbers don’t just indicate dominance, they define dependence. Your EVs, wind turbines, phones, defense systems, medical devices - all rely on REEs. These minerals power the green future we’re all trying to build. But here's the issue: -India holds over 6% of global REE reserves. - We mine less than 1%. That gap? It’s not just strategic. It’s existential. In 2010, when China cut off REE exports to Japan, the global market panicked. Prices spiked. Industries stalled. And once again, we remembered just how fragile our systems really are. Now imagine this happening at scale. Globally. Because that’s exactly where we’re headed unless we shift from extraction to intelligence. What are REEs used for? - Green energy: EV batteries, solar panels, wind turbines - Electronics: Smartphones, TVs, LEDs, laptops - Magnets & Motors: Used in almost every electric motor - Defense & Aerospace: Stealth, navigation, guidance systems - Medical: MRI machines, surgical tools - Refining: Catalysts for fuel and emissions control - Glass & Optics: High-performance glass, polishing, lenses They’re everywhere. And yet, we keep treating them like they’re infinite. So what’s the solution? Not just mining. And not just stockpiling. We need to build systems for circularity: - Recycle REEs from e-waste and clean tech - Localize processing capacity - Build incentives for recyclable design - Shift to lifecycle thinking, not just product cycles This is where real resilience comes from. Because if we don’t invest in sustainable recovery now, we’ll be paying the price in dependency later. The future isn’t just electric, it’s circular. And those who understand that today will lead tomorrow. Recykal.com #recykal #circularity #china #exports #evs

Chinese Discovery Points to a Breakthrough in “Green Mining” for Rare Earths A research team in South China has discovered that Blechnum orientale—a common fern—naturally forms nanoscale crystals rich in rare earth elements (REEs). These metals, indispensable for wind turbines, EV batteries, semiconductors, defense systems, and medical technologies, are notoriously difficult and environmentally damaging to extract through conventional mining. This new biological pathway dramatically strengthens the case for plant-based “phytomining” as a cleaner alternative. The team analyzed ferns growing in REE-rich soils and found that the plants do more than merely accumulate metals. Inside their cell walls, the ferns actually manufacture monazite, a crystalline mineral that is also a major source of geological rare earth ore. Using advanced imaging, researchers documented the fern producing intricate, self-organizing nanoscale crystal structures—described as miniature “chemical gardens.” It is the first recorded instance of a living plant creating a rare earth mineral. This discovery matters because identifying the precise chemical form of REEs inside plants is critical to designing scalable extraction methods. Hyperaccumulator species were previously known to uptake metals, but not to synthesize functional mineral structures. By showing that plants can concentrate REEs into recognizable ore-like forms, the research opens a path toward engineered ecosystems that could recover useful materials with minimal pollution, low energy use, and dramatically reduced land disruption. The implications extend far beyond a single fern. As countries race to secure REEs for clean energy and strategic industries, biologically mediated mineral formation offers a new frontier for sustainable resource recovery. Phytomining will not replace traditional mining overnight—but this discovery demonstrates that nature already provides sophisticated, low-impact mechanisms for concentrating critical minerals. The next step is harnessing this biology at scale.

People often tell me: "Solving for the renewable energy transition is the most important challenge of our time. Waste and circularity need to take a back seat." I often reply with some variation of: "You do realize that there aren't enough commercially readily available materials to extract to meet energy transition / net zero targets, right?" I recently made time for this bombshell article published last month in Nature: "Regional rare-earth element supply and demand balanced with circular economy strategies." [https://lnkd.in/gzyVznZH]. A quick summary of takeaways below: It should be common knowledge that we are heavily reliant on rare earth elements (REEs) for everything from electronics to renewable energy technologies. But traditional mining processes and a linear economy can't keep up with growing demand while prioritizing sustainability. 🔀 Significant Supply/Demand Mismatch: Traditionally mined resources (in-ground stock) and current supply patterns often can't meet projected REE demands, especially for heavy rare earth elements needed in energy transition technologies. (!!!) 🌎 The Geopolitical Shift: As large mineral suppliers see declining in-ground resources, an opportunity arises for consuming regions to increase secondary supply through recycling and reuse. This could lead to a more balanced power dynamic within the REE sector. 🔄 Circular Economy as a Game-Changer: The study shows that circular economy strategies (recycling, reuse, substitution, etc.) could dramatically increase secondary REE supply while significantly reducing demand compared to linear approaches. The hollow feeling I'm left with, however, is that scaling up both CE Strategies (business and consumer) as well as the infrastructure we need to process REEs for new uses won't come fast enough. Curious to know what other CE voices think of this - Vojtech Vosecky, Harald Friedl #rareearthelements #circulareconomy #sustainability #netzero #supplychain #geopolitics