As a result a team led by Ames Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, has been selected for an award of up to $120m over five years to establish an Energy Innovation Hub that will develop solutions to the domestic shortages of rare earth metals and other materials.
The research centre, which will be named the Critical Materials Institute (CMI), will bring together researchers from academia, four Department of Energy national laboratories, as well as the private sector.
“Rare earth metals and other critical materials are essential to manufacturing wind turbines, electric vehicles, advanced batteries and a host of other products that are essential to America’s energy and national security,” said David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Department of Energy (DoE) said the centre will focus on technologies that will enable the US to make better use of the materials it has domestic access to as well as eliminate the need for materials that are subject to supply disruptions.
“These critical materials, including many rare earth elements, are essential for American competitiveness in the clean energy industry. Many materials deemed critical by the Department are used in modern clean energy technologies – such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient lighting,” DoE said in a statement.
“The Department’s 2011 Critical Materials Strategy reported that supply challenges for five rare earth metals (dysprosium, terbium, europium, neodymium and yttrium) may affect clean energy technology deployment in the coming years.
“In recent years, DOE and others have scaled up work to address these challenges.”
Among the recent investments, DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy have supported more than $40m, in magnet, motor and generator research.
