UND, Bulgarian Energy Holding Partner on Rare Earths

The University of North Dakota has announced a strategic memorandum of understanding with Bulgarian Energy Holding to advance research on extracting rare-earth elements from lignite coal.

Signed in New York City with Bulgarian officials present, the agreement builds on UND’s established technical expertise in separation and recovery processes, and aims to accelerate pilot-scale testing, metallurgical optimization, and supply-chain assessments for critical minerals.

Researchers plan to couple laboratory extraction methods with geometallurgical characterization of lignite deposits to improve yields and reduce energy and reagent use. Early work will emphasize scalable hydrometallurgical routes, coproduct recovery, and environmental control measures to address legacy waste streams from coal operations.

University leaders framed the partnership as part of broader momentum: UND also reports record fall 2025 enrollment and has broken ground on a new STEM Complex designed to foster interdisciplinary work between engineering, materials science, and mining. Administrators highlighted community partnerships, philanthropic support, and strategic planning as enabling factors for translational research that could help diversify rare-earth sources and strengthen domestic and allied supply chains.