Scientists will study the extraction of critical elements from waste
DTEK Energy and Dnipro University of Technology have joined forces to research the potential of coal and its processing products. The partners plan to develop technologies for extracting critical elements for use in electronics and energy equipment. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing information from DTEK Energo.
The Ukrainian energy company and the higher education institution have combined their efforts to study the possibilities of obtaining rare components from coal raw materials. The cooperation program provides for the search for methods to extract germanium, scandium, praseodymium, and neodymium, which are used in batteries and energy equipment.
Memorandum of Cooperation
The main areas of joint work are fixed in an official memorandum concluded between the parties. Project participants intend to go through a full cycle from analysis to the development of technologies for extracting rare components and assessing the prospects for its practical application.
«Partnership between business and science makes it possible to combine our practical experience with the research competencies of the university», — noted DTEK Energy CEO Oleksandr Fomenko.
Laboratory Research and Equipment
A practical area of the partnership will be the creation of a joint laboratory based on the university to study waste mass, ash, coal, and other materials. DTEK Energy has already supported the development of the university’s research base by participating in the purchase of a modern spectrometer.
Thanks to the new equipment, scientists will be able to determine more than 100 elements in the composition of the studied materials, study the possibilities of extracting valuable components, and look for new areas for their practical application.
Prospects for Coal Regions
Experts note the difficulty of premature conclusions regarding commercial prospects at this stage. The current task is to study this potential together with Ukrainian science and understand whether it can open up new opportunities for the development of new industries in coal regions.
«Our joint research with Dnipro University of Technology gives grounds to continue studying coal also as a potential source of critical raw materials», — noted Head of Sustainable Development Department at DTEK Energy Nadiia Sudak.
Global Experience
The search for additional sources of critical raw materials is relevant in the world today. Technologies for obtaining valuable elements from coal waste are being studied in the United States, and the European Union supports the development of its own extraction, processing, and reuse of critical raw materials.
For Ukraine, such research can become a step towards developing its own technologies and finding new opportunities for coal regions.
Photo: DTEK Energo
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