The US Department of Energy’s (DoE's) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) has selected four projects for $73-million in funding through its 'Mine of the Future' initiative to establish domestic testing grounds for innovative mining technologies.

These selections will accelerate the commercialization of mining technologies, upgrade domestic mining capabilities, and build on President Donald Trump’s mission to secure America’s critical minerals supply chains.

“Investing in moving cutting-edge mining technologies out of the lab and into the field will help unleash America’s vast mineral resources,” said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, adding that Trump is committed to rebuilding America’s mining industry, reducing dependence on foreign adversaries and securing the critical minerals that are foundational to US energy, manufacturing, and national security.

“These investments will prove that American innovation can redefine what’s possible in modern mining. By establishing world class testing grounds, we’re accelerating breakthroughs that will strengthen our supply chains, our workforce, and our national competitiveness," adds Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson.

DoE's Advanced Mining and Mineral Processing Technologies Office's selection of projects for award negotiations include Innovative Wireless Technologies, which is headquartered in Virginia and has project locations in Julian, West Virginia, Idaho Springs, Colorado and Blacksburg.

This project aims to create a national testbed to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced mining technologies that enhance safety, productivity, and supply chain resilience. The effort will combine underground and surface mining environments to validate next-generation digital, connectivity, and automation solutions in real-world conditions.

The next project for award negotiations is that of University of Arizona, which has a project in Sahuarita aimed at creating a nationally accessible underground testbed to speed up the development and deployment of advanced mining, electrification, and energy management technologies.

This scalable proving ground aims to reduce technical and operational risks while strengthening US critical mineral supply chains through improved productivity, energy efficiency, and faster commercialization.

DoE also selected curators of the University of Missouri for a project aimed at creating a functional mining technology proving ground that combines two complementary facilities for underground technology testing and advanced comminution research. Curators of the University of Missouri will design, build, and equip this national resource to support innovation, real world validation, and workforce development for next generation mining technologies.

Lastly, DoE announced it will enter into award negotiations with Southern Methodist University, in Texas, which has a project to create the world’s first synthetic mine within an advanced drilling and sensing test facility to accelerate next generation mining technologies from lab concepts to field ready deployment.

By repurposing a highly instrumented Texas drilling site, it will enable rigorous, repeatable, and safe testing of mining tools, workflows, and automation systems.

Minerals and mining stakeholders require field sites to test innovative technologies under real-world conditions, DoE states.

"These projects will not only develop mining proving grounds but also support research and development projects that accelerate the progression of technologies from laboratories to testing and demonstration in a field-scale setting, an essential step to de-risk commercial adoption.

"These projects will also create opportunities for hands-on workforce training to prepare the next generation of American miners and engineers to operate advanced mining systems," DoE concludes.