Archives par mot-clé : Critical Minerals

energy and fields

University of Utah announces new Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals

by University of Utah, Apr 14, 2026 in EurekAlert/AAAS

New institute seeks to expand sustainable, domestic critical minerals supply chain through education, workforce development and cutting-edge research

As the U.S. reduces its reliance on foreign critical minerals, Utah is stepping up to rebuild the domestic supply chain—and the University of Utah is leveraging its expertise to drive that effort forward.

On Tuesday, April 14, the U’s Board of Trustees voted in favor of the proposed Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals (ICSM). Through education, workforce development and cutting-edge research, the institute aims to expand sustainable, domestic sources and production of critical minerals and rare earth elements, the raw materials vital for advanced technologies.

The Utah legislature passed S.B. 254 and S.C.R. 9 to strengthen Utah’s mining industry during the 2026 session.

“With legislative support from state leaders, Utah is taking a decisive step to lead in critical minerals,” said Taylor Randall, president of the University of Utah. “Working with industry and governmental partners, the Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals will position Utah as the nation’s hub for critical mineral production, processing and research—driving economic growth, strengthening supply chains and advancing discoveries that matter.”

ICSM supports the full lifecycle of critical mineral development—from geological discovery and responsible mining to processing and recycling—while addressing broader challenges, including community impact, market analysis and environmental regulation. ICSM’s leadership reflects its interdisciplinary mission, bringing together experts from the Colleges of Mines and Earth Sciences, Engineering, Law, Business and Social and Behavioral Science.

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minerals and ores

How China Dominates the World’s Critical Minerals Production

by K. McCollum, April 7, 2026 in WUWT

Critical minerals are mined all over the world but the majority of the supply ends up passing through China. For a broad range of key metals and minerals, China is either the largest miner, the dominant refiner, or both. This is true for rare earths, lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, and many other metals and minerals that are essential to defense, energy and high-tech applications. It is less about where ores are dug out of the ground and more about where they are turned into usable components. In other words, Chinese processing plants are essentially the gatekeepers of global supply.

Australia and South America host much of the world’s lithium, while Congo supplies the lion’s share of cobalt and copper. But the rocks themselves can’t become a battery or magnet without intensive downstream processing and refining. China built those downstream industries at scale over decades through state support and investment. The result is clear — China has effectively monopolized refining for most critical minerals while the rest of the world depends on it for much-needed supply. China is listed as the dominant refiner for 19 of 20 minerals analyzed by the IEA in their Global Critical Minerals Outlook for 2025, making up roughly 70% of the global processing capacity overall.

How dominant is dominant? The numbers illustrate the scale and variety of China’s concentration. Data from 2024 shows China as the leading producer or processor for roughly 99% of gallium, 95% of magnesium, 83% of tungsten, 79% of graphite and over 69% of all rare earths. For battery materials, Chinese firms account for an overwhelming share of manufacturing capacity, giving China control over the upper and middle parts of the battery supply chain, even though much of the raw materials are sourced elsewhere.

Put simply: control of smelters and refineries is the chokepoint. Analysis from the United States Geological Survey shows how China’s share rises dramatically from mining to processing. Many minerals that are mined in other countries are still processed into a refined product within China. That clear advantage lets Chinese policy shifts ripple quickly through global supply and pricing — a growing threat for the West.

In fact, China has already weaponized its stronghold on the industry in ways that have triggered both concern and action from the United States government. Over the past couple of years, Beijing has imposed a series of export restrictions on critical minerals that have sounded alarms in Washington. These controls immediately tightened global supply for various essential materials, including gallium, germanium, silver, graphite, and certain rare-earth processing technologies. This caused semiconductor and defense firms to scramble for alternatives while exposing how dangerously dependent manufacturers are on Chinese supply.

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