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  • Geothermal plant at sunset with steam rising, vehicles, and desert landscape.

    Hell's Kitchen earns federal FAST-41 status

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 2, 2025

    Streamlined permitting will accelerate clean lithium supply and geothermal energy. With construction underway on the first phase of its Lithium Valley campus, Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) Ltd. has secured FAST-41 status for its Hell's Kitchen project – placing this California geothermal-lithium development among a short list of critical mineral production ventures backed by the White House for expedited federal permitting. Lying in California's Imperial Valley, about 1...

  • Closeup of the cutoff ends of uninsulated copper cables.

    Copper crunch could stall global progress

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 24, 2025

    New study finds energy transition ambitions far outpacing global copper mining capacity. The world can mine enough copper over the next 25 years to wire the energy transition or mine enough to raise living standards in developing nations – but not both, according to a sobering study by researchers from leading universities in the United States and Australia. "A noncarbon transition that involves a large contribution from wind and solar electricity generation will require a q...

  • Computer-generated image of liquid-cooled servers in a data center.

    Converting AI brainpower to electricity

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2025

    PyroDelta's tellurium-based generator transforms excess heat from data centers into clean energy. The data centers being built around the world to meet the growing computational demands of AI, machine learning, and cloud-based data storage are consuming a lot of electricity – not only to power the servers that make the internet and big data analytics possible but also to keep them cool. A new tellurium-based thermoelectric generator developed by PyroDelta Energy Inc. offers a...

  • Bubbles on a metallic surface with a bolt of golden electricity over top.

    Palladium catalyst powers cheap hydrogen

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Mar 16, 2025

    Japanese researchers develop nanosheets that rival platinum for H2 production. As the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen holds the potential to replace fossil fuels as the next evolution of combustion – clean, powerful, and only water as its emission – but its widespread adoption has been hindered by the high cost of platinum catalysts needed for production. Now, Japanese researchers have made a breakthrough that could deliver the same efficiency as platinum at...

  • Photo of a splash resulting from a droplet of water into a pond.

    More green hydrogen with less iridium

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech New|Updated Mar 16, 2025

    Riken researchers have developed a green hydrogen catalyst that reduces the amount of rare and expensive iridium needed by 95%. One of the most elementary chemistry lessons taught to schoolchildren is that water is a molecule made up of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Now, scholars at the highest level of academics are working to find the most efficient and sustainable means of breaking those hydrogen atoms off of water to produce a green fuel that turns back into...

  • US Strategic Metals battery materials recovery facility in Madison County, MO.

    Missouri sparks battery materials collab

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Mar 16, 2025

    Missouri University of Science and Technology, US Strategic Metals; lithium-ion battery precursor cathode active material research. Pioneering a transformative shift in the American battery landscape, US Strategic Metals joins forces with Missouri University of Science and Technology to advance research on precursor cathode active material, leveraging the Show Me State's abundant natural resources and cutting-edge facilities in green innovation. Transforming from humble...

  • Two gentlemen in suits holding ceremonial shovels in front of banner.

    Stardust refinery breaks ground in Oklahoma

    Shane Lasley, Mining News|Updated Mar 14, 2025

    Muskogee Oklahoma facility will produce enough battery-grade lithium for 1 million EVs annually. On Jan. 22, Stardust Power Inc. broke ground on its lithium refinery in Muskogee, Okla., marking a critical milestone in the U.S. energy transition and reinforcing Oklahoma's literal and figurative position at the center of the nation's critical mineral supply chains. "Stardust Power's decision to break ground on its lithium refinery in Muskogee is a significant step forward for...

  • Pile of shredded electronics with E-SCRAP competition logo and title overlay.

    DOE awards phase 1 winners of E-SCRAP

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Mar 14, 2025

    Ten teams recognized for groundbreaking solutions to reclaim critical materials. With potential billions of dollars in critical materials lost in discarded electronics each year, the U.S. Department of Energy has announced the first winners of its $4 million E-SCRAP competition, recognizing innovations that transform e-waste into a valuable resource for supply chains and sustainability. First announced in March, DOE saw the immense potential of recovering valuable and...

  • Composite photo of Arkansas flag and barrel of white lithium powder.

    Arkansas sits atop a sea of lithium

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Mar 11, 2025

    USGS estimates the Smackover Formation under Arkansas hosts enough lithium for more than 625 million EVs. By applying next-generation machine learning to old-fashioned water sampling, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that there is enough lithium dissolved in salty waters beneath Arkansas to keep America supplied with this critical battery metal for decades. Arkansas happens to sit atop a particularly lithium-rich area of the Smackover Formation, the relic of an ancient sea...

  • Aerial photo of a massive solar farm with thousands of panels.

    First Solar backs Missouri S&T research

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 27, 2025

    America's solar company endows professorship at university to advance research into securing critical energy materials supply chains. Just days after Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) announced its expanding role in advancing U.S. critical minerals research, America's leading solar company and world's largest producer of solar panels, First Solar, Inc., has entrusted the university with an endowed professorship dedicated to advancing critical energy...

  • Closeup of a metallic gold-colored periodic table entry for nickel.

    Manitoba First Nation buys nickel mine

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 4, 2024

    Norway House Cree Nation acquisition of Minago brings ESG advantages to near-development nickel-PGM project. In a deal that could result in an Indigenous-owned mine delivering energy transition metals into North America's supply chains, the Norway House Cree Nation has acquired the Minago nickel-platinum group metals (PGM) project in Manitoba from Flying Nickel Corp. for nearly C$9 million ($6.5 million). "By taking full control with 100% ownership and management, we can... Full story

  • Rolling hills in China covered in hundreds of solar panels.

    Gallium, titanium could boost solar output

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 25, 2024

    Photovoltaic cells made from the right combination of materials could break through the limited potential of solar power. With today's common commercial and industrial solar cells converting sunlight into energy at a rate of 30-40% maximum, a 60% efficiency power conversion potential is groundbreaking. After 15 years of trial and error, a team of researchers at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain has fabricated an intermediate band (IB) solar cell using gallium... Full story

  • Energy Fuels’ mine workers working underground at uranium mine.

    Energy Fuels to boost U.S. uranium supply

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Oct 2, 2024

    Uranium exploration at Nichols Ranch reveals strong results, potentially leading to a project restart in 2025. Due to stronger-than-expected results from ongoing exploration, Energy Fuels Inc. is advancing plans to restart its Nichols Ranch uranium project in Wyoming in 2025, enabling the company to bolster domestic uranium production for the clean energy transition. Colorado-based Energy Fuels, which operates the White Mesa Mill in Utah, is already the largest U.S. producer o...

  • Closeup of an alternator being driven by a serpentine belt in an ICE vehicle.

    Tellurium-enhanced alternator alternative

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Sep 20, 2024

    PyroDelta's thermoelectric device could significantly improve ICE vehicle fuel efficiency by transforming engine heat into electricity. First Tellurium Corp. subsidiary PyroDelta Energy is moving forward with a tellurium-enhanced thermoelectric generator that could significantly improve the gas mileage of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles – a technology that could also be used to increase the range of hybrid cars and EVs. Thermoelectric generators are solid-state devic... Full story

  • Rows of cylindrical LEU+ fuel pellets at Westinghouse’s Springfield facility.

    U.S. succeeds in first HALEU production

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 20, 2024

    Westinghouse Electric creates LEU+, a middle-ground to more efficient and safer nuclear fuel. Marking a pivotal milestone that aligns with years of United States government planning to secure domestic nuclear energy resources, Westinghouse Electric Company announced that it has produced its first batch of Low Enriched Uranium Plus (LEU+) fuel pellets, a development that not only marks a significant technological achievement but also strengthens America's push to reduce... Full story

  • Image of the various erosion marks found within the Grand Canyon.

    Battle over mining near the Grand Canyon

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 13, 2024

    Decades-long clash continues over Colorado's uranium mines with implications for economy and national security. Mining near the Grand Canyon has been an embattled topic for decades, with an outcome that has implications for American jobs, the future of green energy, the economy, and national security. Uranium fuels nuclear power, a sustainable, efficient, plentiful and practically carbon-free energy. Miners like Colorado-based Energy Fuels Resources Inc. and the current...

  • Coin battery cells being held by clamps connected to a diagnostic machine.

    Rare tellurium gets national notice

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 13, 2024

    US Department of Defense recognizes potential of critical energy metal; National Science Foundation offers First Tellurium grant opportunity. Tellurium is a rare element with some powerful properties that are being leveraged in American-made solar panels, solid-state batteries that could significantly extend the range of electric vehicles, and thermoelectric generators that convert temperature variations into clean electricity. Recognizing tellurium's criticality to clean ener...

  • Rendering of nanotubes and bubbles.

    Nickel catalyst for faster H2 electrolysis

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Introducing 3D nickel catalysts for faster and cheaper production of hydrogen from water. A team of researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea has developed a new three-dimensional nickel catalyst that shows promise for producing more hydrogen from water at lower costs. The production of hydrogen from water typically involves the use of platinum or other similar precious metals, which pushes up the costs of producing this...

  • The interior of WEST, a donut-shaped fusion reactor in France.

    Fusion reactors switch to tungsten

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Materials breakthrough improves the timeline of plasma stability, brings endless energy closer. This month in France, a donut-shaped fusion reactor the size of an eight-foot box called WEST has upgraded from a carbon interior to one made of tungsten, an improvement which successfully contained plasma hotter and longer than ever. Compared to this latest result, our own sun burns at temperatures 30% less while still powering grid-scale systems running on solar panels whose...

  • A large six-rotor drone hovering over a field.

    Tellurium devices to extend drone flights

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    PyroDelta is developing a tellurium-based thermoelectric generator that could transform prop downwash into longer drone range. Can tellurium-based thermoelectric generators provide extra lift to drones? First Tellurium believes they can and a company it created to advance research and development of thermoelectric devices for clean energy generation is developing a prototype specifically for drone applications. Thermoelectric generators transform the differences in temperature...

  • A gold-colored rectangular device engraved with the PyroDelta logo.

    RESOLVE to develop First Tellurium tech

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 20, 2024

    Solution-focused NGO agrees to help manufacture and sell tellurium-based thermoelectric generator with green potential. Amongst the rarest of stable elements on the periodic table, tellurium has quietly emerged as a secret ingredient of the clean energy future. This includes serving as a semiconductor in thermoelectric generators – solid-state devices that transform waste heat from vehicle engines and industrial processes into clean electricity. This promising green energy t... Full story

  • Graphic with bubbles depicting hydrogen supply chain against green background.

    DOE to loan Plug $1.7B for green hydrogen

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 24, 2024

    Funds will be used to build out a complete green hydrogen ecosystem in the U.S.; will create new demand for PGMs. To help support the production of green hydrogen to fuel America's clean energy economy, the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office has conditionally committed to loan Plug Power Inc. $1.66 billion to help finance the construction of up to six domestic hydrogen facilities. "Green hydrogen is an essential driver of industrial decarbonization in the United...

  • Lights from Energy Metals’ White Mesa Mill reflect off a pond at night.

    Energy Fuels starts up three uranium mines

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 6, 2024

    More than 20 countries gathered for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP28, agree that nuclear energy has a major role to play in achieving the global goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy endorsed by these nations gathered in Dubai for COP28 includes global resolutions to work together to advance a goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050 and encourages international financial...

  • A roughly one-by-two-inch flat, rectangular TEG generator being tested in a lab.

    First Tellurium solid-state energy R&D

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023

    Mineral explorer sees tellurium as solid-state clean energy solution, forms company to advance new tech. Before its use in thin-film solar panels, tellurium was an obscure semi-metallic element with few commercial uses. Today, this rare metalloid is a rising star of solid-state green energy that is helping to transform sunlight and heat into electricity, as well as a secret ingredient in solid-state lithium batteries with the potential to revolutionize electric vehicles.... Full story

  • Corked bottle with image of Earth inside as the message washed up on a beach.

    Message in a bottle: More copper needed

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 19, 2023

    In a clarion call to current and future mining colleagues, IMDEX geoscience chief warns lack of copper may slow energy transition. As global governments and industries scramble to ensure there is enough lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths to build the collective vision of a future where electric vehicles are charged with zero-carbon renewable energy, the geoscientists charged with discovering the mineral deposits needed to meet global demand are much more... Full story

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