US DOE Selects Project to Extract Rare Earths from Bauxite Waste, Aims to Reduce Foreign Dependence

Published: Jun 10, 2026 10:58

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[SMM Rare Earth News] The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it has selected a project led by the Colorado School of Mines for funding negotiations, aiming to advance the extraction and refining of rare earth elements from non-traditional resources such as “red mud.” The project will build a demonstration facility near an alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana, to recover rare earths from bauxite waste, including separating them into rare earth oxides and further refining them into rare earth metals. The plan involves a total investment of $134 million, of which approximately $67 million will support the project, aiming to reduce US dependence on foreign rare earth resources and enhance the security and resilience of the domestic critical mineral supply chain.

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