New and Highlights
SMaRT Center director was invited to speak at the conference held by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
April 7, 2023
Dr. Rick Honaker, professor of mining engineering and the director of the SMaRT Center, was invited and presented as a keynote speaker at the 21st Annual Kentucky Environmental Conference. The conference, organized by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, aimed to discuss various environmental issues in Kentucky and promote sustainable solutions.
Dr. Honaker's presentation focused on the extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from coal waste, which can be hazardous to the environment if not managed properly. By extracting REEs, the amount of coal waste generated by mining can be reduced, and a valuable resource can be harvested, contributing to a more sustainable economy.
The attendees at the conference included representatives from various industries, environmental groups, and government agencies. Several prominent companies attended the meeting, including LG&E and KU Energy, Toyota Motor North America, and Kentucky Power, among others. The attendance of these companies highlighted their commitment to finding sustainable solutions and reducing their environmental impact.
Other speakers at the conference discussed topics such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and environmental policy. The conference provided an opportunity for attendees to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and collaborate on environmental issues.
The Kentucky Environmental Conference provides a crucial platform for promoting sustainable solutions and addressing environmental challenges. Dr. Honaker's proposal for coal waste management is just one example of the innovative ideas that can lead to a more sustainable future for Kentucky and the rest of the world.
DoE's Dr. Douglas Wicks to discuss energy transition and the renaissance of American mining at University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky is pleased to announce that Dr. Douglas Wicks, a leading expert in energy and mining and a Program Director at the Department of Energy's (DoE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), will visit a number of research facilities and give a seminar on March 29, 2023, on the main campus. Dr. Wicks’ talk will be titled "Catalyzing the Renaissance of American Mining to Enable the Energy Transition" and will be held in the Mining and Minerals Research Building (MMRB) Room 102 from 3 to 4 PM. The seminar is open to the UK community and the public.
Dr. Wicks' talk will address the challenges and opportunities of climate change and the clean energy transition. His presentation will discuss the critical role of mining and mineral resources in enabling the transition to clean energy technologies, such as solar panels and electric vehicles. Dr. Wicks will put forth ideas and concepts to stimulate discussion about how mines of the future could address environmental and social needs while supplying the transition.
Dr. Wicks will propose ideas on how to adapt mining to be a carbon-negative solution to the metals industry's emissions issues, unleash the potential of geologic hydrogen, access deep deposits with little to no disturbance to the environment, and reshape mineral processing to valorize everything dug out of the ground. Additionally, he will discuss how fostering new ideas and approaches can create a new generation of technology startups and leaders needed to tackle this opportunity.
You can join the seminar remotely and/or register for a discussion with Dr. Wicks using the following links.
Register for discussion with Dr. Wicks
ARPA-E's mission is to advance cutting-edge energy technologies that can help reduce carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency, and enhance the resilience and security of energy systems. By supporting innovative research and development, ARPA-E plays a critical role in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable energy future. ARPA-E funds projects in various technology areas, including renewable energy, energy storage, transportation, building efficiency, and carbon capture and utilization.
The seminar is expected to attract a diverse audience of students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals interested in energy and mining. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Dr. Wicks and discuss how to unleash the potential of the minerals beneath our feet to tackle climate change.
The seminar promises to be a thought-provoking event that will provide valuable insights into the future of American mining and its crucial role in enabling the energy transition. UK community members and the public are encouraged to attend and participate in this discussion on how to unleash the potential of the minerals beneath our feet to tackle climate change.
The abstract of Dr. Wicks’ talk with more information about his background is available on the seminar’s flyer.
In recent years, mining has increasingly become a cross-disciplinary field, involving expertise from various areas beyond traditional mining disciplines such as geology and engineering. The interdisciplinary nature of modern mining is driving innovation and collaboration across sectors, and creating new opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds to contribute to the industry.
DoE invests $3.5M on a SMaRT Center project for carbon- negative mineral production
Department of Energy (DoE) Advanced Research Projects Agency- Energy (ARPA-E) has announced that the University of Kentucky SMaRT Center proposal entitled "Development of a Carbon-Negative Process for Comminution Energy Reduction and Energy-Relevant Mineral Extraction through Carbon Mineralization and Biological Carbon Fixation" has been selected for a $3.5 million award.
The University of Kentucky’s proposed technology will use CO₂ emitted at or near operating mines and processing operations to reduce the energy consumed during grinding by more than 50% while improving the recovery of critical energy-relevant minerals by 20% or greater. In this approach, CO2 will be mixed with ore containing valuable minerals, especially copper (Cu) and rare earth elements (REE), to improve the efficiency of grinding and separation. Additionally, the biological fixation of CO2 will be studied and employed in producing acid that can be used to recover Cu from low-grade feedstocks. If successful, the project will provide a novel carbon-negative process using waste CO2 to increase the amount of recoverable valuable energy-relevant minerals.
It’s only natural: SMaRT Center to investigate separation and purification of rare-earth elements by microorganisms
Using naturally occurring and engineered proteins and bacteria, the University of Kentucky in a team with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and other academic and industrial partners will separate and purify rare-earth elements so they can be used in the defense sector. Rick Honaker--Mining Engineering professor and SMaRC Center director--will integrate the technology into one of the nation's few rare-earth producing demonstration plants owned and operated by the University of Kentucky.
Under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource (EMBER) program, the team was awarded an initial $4 million in funding R&D in Phase 1 with an option for up to an additional $9 million based on program performance in follow-on phases. The team will leverage advances in microbial and biomolecular engineering to develop a scalable bio-based separation and purification strategy for rare-earth elements (REEs) using under-developed domestic sources.
In addition to exploiting previously identified microbes and proteins that have been tested and used to purify and separate REEs, the team will conduct a bioprospecting campaign to identify new REE-associated microorganisms that exhibit REE-utilization capacity. Results will expand the repertoire of REE-biomining hosts and REE-binding biomolecules.
Other team members include Penn State, Columbia University, Tufts University, Purdue University, and industry partner Western Rare Earths.