Missouri wins federal tech hub focused on the development of clean energy minerals

A regional technology and innovation hub to develop the minerals and metals needed for the clean energy transition is coming to central and southeast Missouri.

The designation this week by the Biden administration is led by Missouri University of Science and Technology and focuses on the potential of the state to become a global leader in producing minerals crucial for electrification, like nickel and cobalt, said Principal Investigator and S&T mining professor Kwame Awuah-Offei.

“Missouri is blessed that we have these minerals in our geology,” he said. “The second piece of it is Missouri S&T has this high level of expertise in hydrometallurgy and mining and mineral processing.”

The combination of geology and a well-established research university makes the state an attractive place to support companies that will use these minerals to facilitate the energy transition, Awuah-Offei said.

“All of these things need batteries and magnets that rely on these same minerals,” he said.

Mines in southeast Missouri, like ones operated by Doe Run, are already producing concentrates that contain significant amounts of cobalt and nickel, Awuah-Offei said. There are other companies with currently operating mines, or ones that could be reopened, that could produce these minerals, he added.

It could also be a chance to clean up the materials left behind from past mining, which contain some critical minerals like nickel, cobalt, zinc, germanium or gallium, Awuah-Offei said.