Firepoint Energy Selects Jefferson County Site For Waste Coal-To-Fuel Conversion, Rare Earth Element Recovery Production Site

On July 5, Firepoint Energy Inc, a Wyoming C-Corp startup with principal offices opening in Pennsylvania and Texas, announced the selection of a Jefferson County, Pennsylvania waste-coal-to-fuel site, which will also be used for the recovery of rare earth minerals.

The eight million tons of waste coal at the Jefferson County location will be transformed into synthetic aviation fuel (SAF) using carbon-capture technology, while rare earth elements present in the waste coal will be simultaneously extracted from the ash and rock on the premises.

“The site in Jefferson County has the best percentages of rare earth minerals, aluminum, and lithium of the multiple sites we’ve tested since arriving in Pennsylvania,” explained Firepoint Energy CEO Bill Smith. “On top of the more than $3 billion worth of rare earth minerals and other metals at this location, we expect to produce 15.4 million gallons of clean jet fuel per year from the very same waste coal. We fully expect to produce revenues of at least $101 million in metals and minerals each year by extracting them using industrial hydrometallurgical processes.”

Another benefit to the waste-coal-to-fuel conversion process is the remediation of acid mine drainage (AMD). 

Any ash or stone remaining after the conversion will be stripped of minerals, metals, or other harmful elements that might be detrimental to waterways before it is returned to the work site.

“To our knowledge, this will be the first project in the country that converts what is technically a pile of toxic waste into clean-burning jet fuel, while also recovering critical minerals that are now considered a national defense priority,” added Smith.

There is also a separate 15-million-ton pile of waste coal adjacent to the first pile that Firepoint Energy may opt to process after the first pile has been eliminated. 

Firepoint Energy is also looking into the potential of processing coal ash at local power plants in order to extract the rare earth minerals, thereby reducing the amount of ash being hauled to landfills and other sites.

The development of Firepoint Energy facilities at the Jefferson County waste coal sites would invest $750 million into the region and create at least 100 well-paying jobs for residents in the surrounding areas. 

In conjunction with one of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s campuses, the site would also include a training center and a sustainable energy center.

Anyone seeking more information or looking to partner with Firepoint Energy is encouraged to call or fill out the contact form at the Firepoint Energy website.

Resource Links - Firepoint:

-- Firepoint Energy Eyeing PA Coal Waste As Source Of Rare Earth Elements And Jet Fuel  [PaEN]

-- SpliceToday.com Guest Essay: Pennsylvania: The Value Of Waste Coal Is More Than You’d Think - By Ian Douglass, CEO Firepoint Energy

Resource Links - Rare Earth Minerals:

-- Penn State Team Awarded US DOE Grant To Develop Extraction & Recovery Technologies For Rare Earth, Other Critical Materials From Coal, Coal Wastes, Acid Mine Drainage  [PaEN]

-- Penn State’s Center For Critical Minerals To Receive $2.1 Million Grant To Build Pilot Plant To Recover Rare Earth Elements, Other Critical Minerals From Acid Mine Drainage   [PaEN]

-- Penn State Center For Critical Minerals Develops New Process To Extract Rare Earth Oxides From Abandoned Mine Drainages, Sludges  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Calls For Taking Next Step To Demonstrate Technology For Recovery Of Rare Earth & Critical Minerals From Mine Drainage, Coal Refuse - Build A Processing Facility  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Seize The Rare Opportunity To Resolve Toxic Mine Drainage - By Robert Hughes, Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation  [PaEN]

-- New Sensor Can Detect Valuable Rare Earth Elements In Mine Drainage, Other Non-Traditional Sources  [PaEN]

-- U.S. Dept. Of Energy Awards $1.95 Million For Conceptual Designs For Rare Earth Mineral Extraction From Coal Sources, Including 4 PA Projects  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 5, 2024]  PA Environment Digest