The US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) has allocated $73m to fund four projects focused on establishing testbeds for advanced mining technologies at locations across the country.

Part of the DoE’s Mine of the Future initiative, the funding aims to advance the development and commercialisation of mining technologies designed to support critical mineral supply chains.

The selected projects are located in Virginia, Arizona, Missouri and Texas, and are set to provide real-world environments for testing next-generation mining applications.

Innovative Wireless Technologies, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, plans to use its funding to create a national testbed spanning West Virginia, Colorado and Virginia.

This initiative will combine underground and surface mining environments to validate digital, connectivity and automation solutions in operational conditions.

At the University of Arizona in Sahuarita, the allocated funds will be used to develop a scalable underground proving ground for mining, electrification and energy management technology.

The university stated that this testbed aims to strengthen US critical mineral supply chains by increasing productivity and energy efficiency, whilst reducing risks in technology development and commercialisation.

The Curators of the University of Missouri will establish a combined underground technology testing and advanced comminution research facility.

This dual-purpose location in Rolla, Missouri, is intended to support field validation and workforce training in emerging mining technologies.

Southern Methodist University, through its project in Navasota, Texas, intends to establish what it says will be the world’s first synthetic mine within a drilling and sensing test facility.

The site will be set up to allow for controlled, safe and repeatable testing of new mining tools, automation systems and workflows.

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said: “Investing in moving cutting-edge mining technologies out of the lab and into the field will help unleash America’s vast mineral resources.

“President Trump is committed to rebuilding America’s mining industry, reducing our dependence on foreign adversaries, and securing the critical minerals that are foundational to our energy, manufacturing and national security.”

The DoE indicated that, besides enabling field validation, these projects will help train workers to use advanced mining systems.

The department emphasised that the ability to test technology at scale is essential to the commercial adoption of emerging mining methods.