Australia’s coal-fired power stations could provide a source of rare earth elements, if a new recovery process is proven.
Researchers from Monash University believe they are able to extract more than 90 per cent of the critical minerals found within fly ash – a by-product of coal. An “urban mining” process could also apply to mine tailings and even old electronics.
Millions of tonnes of fly ash are produced by power stations every year, with most of it ending up in landfills or deliberately constructed ash dams. The powdery substance has long been seen as a waste management headache.
Monash University head of chemical and biological engineering Sankar Bhattacharya said the technology has great potential.
“Our research shows this ash holds valuable rare earth metals essential for powering future technologies,” he said. “Our ‘urban mining’ method can recover all 17 rare earth elements with over 90 per cent efficiency, providing a safer and more sustainable alternative to conventional mining.”
Fellow researcher Bennet Thomas said the process has the potential to add 45,000 tonnes of rare earth elements to national supply annually.
“Recovering rare earth elements from coal ash not only addresses a significant waste problem but also strengthens Australia’s supply chain resilience for critical materials,” he said. “With the right support, we can scale up this technology to create new regional jobs and help Australia lead the global transition to clean energy and advanced manufacturing.”
Bhattacharya and Thomas’ shared paper on the process was presented in a recent edition of the Hydrometallurgy scientific journal.