New report: the U.S. must invest in biomining to secure mineral independence

The institute has released a new report urging federal action to advance biomining, the use of microorganisms to extract metals from ores and waste streams.

Critical minerals such as rare earths, cobalt, nickel, and lithium are indispensable to U.S. defence systems, clean energy, and advanced electronics. China nonetheless controls more than 80 to 90 percent of global refining capacity, creating chokepoints that expose serious national security risks.

Biomining offers cleaner, lower-cost processing that can tap low-grade ores and reduce environmental harm. The United States remains at the research stage, though, with startups and pilots but no commercial-scale operations, falling behind countries such as Chile and Finland.

The report argues that without stronger federal investment to carry laboratory breakthroughs into industrial deployment, that gap will widen.

Read the full report