Drs. Michael Moats, left, and Lana Alagha in a Missouri S&T laboratory. Photo by Michael Pierce/Missouri S&T.
Missouri S&T received $28.5 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to advance critical minerals processing through its Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy Tech Hub. The grant, which includes collaboration with industry, government and academic partners, will support the construction of an 18,000-square-foot test-bed facility at Missouri S&T to develop and evaluate mineral extraction and processing technologies for advanced energy systems.
The facility, which will take two years to build, will be the first of its kind and will enable rapid testing of potential technologies for the natural resources industry. It will support research and development efforts as well as workforce development across a 14-county region. It is expected to have an even greater impact on critical minerals mining, refining and recycling across the United States in the next decade.
This award underscores the university’s leadership in critical minerals research and cements our role in revitalizing the region’s economy while strengthening national energy security. It paves the way for innovation and progress – two of S&T’s pillars – and represents the dedication and collaboration of countless stakeholders led by S&T’s own Drs. Kwame Awuah-Offei, Michael Moats and Lana Alagha, to name a few.
Photo: Drs. Michael Moats, left, and Lana Alagha in a Missouri S&T laboratory. Photo by Michael Pierce/Missouri S&T.