European Coal Waste Contains Rare Earths, but Recovery Barriers Remain
A recent study published in Scientific Reports explores the feasibility of extracting rare earth elements (REEs) from European coal mining waste. While the waste contains valuable minerals, the research highlights significant technical and economic barriers to making this a viable secondary supply chain.
Why it matters
Developing secondary sources for rare earth elements is essential for reducing global dependence on concentrated supply chains for critical green technologies.
Ask our AI Assistant Search Menu Posted in | News | Minerals | Mining European Coal Waste Contains Rare Earths, but Recovery Barriers Remain Download PDF Copy Add AZoM on Google as a preferred source By Akshatha Chandrashekar Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. Jul 30 2026 A four-sample European study shows why finding rare earth elements in mining waste is only the first step toward building a viable secondary supply.
Paper: Recovery of rare earth elements from European coal mining waste . Image credit: AI-generated image created using ChatGPT/OpenAI
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