Georgia Tech Center for Critical Mineral Solutions
Our mission is to develop sustainable and decarbonized solutions and train the future workforce for critical mineral production, which will be achieved through three interwoven pillars: science and technology development, strengthening collaboration with regional universities, and developing regional resources and economy.
Science and Tech Development
This pillar will focus on research and technology development for resource identification, exploration, and production, and workforce training. Key areas include geological resources, marine resources, waste conversion, and AI solutions.
Strengthening Collaboration
This pillar aims to develop a research triangle among Georgia Tech, UGA, and GSU on critical minerals. We look forward to engaging regional universities, industry partners, and national labs for strategic collaboration.
Developing Regional Resources
This pillar focuses on developing regonal economies like the Georgia kaolin mining industry, while also considering coal combustion residues, spent batteries, and CO2 capture/utilization for decarbonization.
More About the Center for CMS
Critical energy minerals (CEM) are essential for the high-tech industry and green economy, but they face significant challenges due to high demand, limited supply, and traditional extraction/processing technologies. As the needs for clean energy, sustainability, and decarbonization grow rapidly, addressing these challenges becomes increasingly urgent.
To address these challenges, we need to develop new or alternative resources, diversify supply chains, develop new technologies and materials, and enable circular economy. Technical advancements must consider environmental impacts, carbon emissions, community feedback, and energy justice. Current efforts focus mainly on science and technology for specific elements, neglecting policy, economic analysis, community education, and business models. There are also gaps in geoscience education and multidisciplinary knowledge. Immediate development of knowledge, technology, and workforce is crucial to establish a supply chain within a decade and to create a sustainable workforce for the decades beyond.