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Minerals
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Critical Minerals for Energy Transition: Advancing Energy Security and Sustainable...
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Critical Minerals for Energy Transition: Advancing Energy Security and Sustainable Manufacturing

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 3961

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nawshad Haque

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Guest Editor
Energy, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
Interests: technoeconomic evaluation; flowsheeting using METSIM; life cycle assessment; process engineering; process modelling; simulation; optimisation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Akshoy Ranjan Paul

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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Mechanics, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
Interests: green and renewable energy; energy policy; fluid dynamics; CFD
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shalini Verma

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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Mechanics, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
Interests: green energy; minerals; supply chain; life cycle assessment; circular economy; aerodynamics; aeroelastic; aeroacoustics; CFD

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The transition towards a low-carbon economy has placed critical minerals at the forefront of industrial innovation, accounting for a significant reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. This Special Issue explores the interconnected supply chains of critical minerals and their impact on sustainability to ensure energy security and a sustainable environment. It addresses topics such as critical mineral extractions, conventional and new processes, recycling, material efficiency, and the integration of renewable energy such as solar and wind in the production processes. Through comprehensive analyses and interdisciplinary research, this issue seeks to uncover innovative solutions to reduce emissions and enhance the sustainability of critical metal manufacturing, while maintaining robust and secure supply chains. The Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing the latest advances, challenges, and policy perspectives in critical minerals.

Dr. Nawshad Haque
Dr. Akshoy Ranjan Paul
Dr. Shalini Verma
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • critical minerals
  • energy transition
  • green energy
  • low-carbon economy
  • sustainable supply chains
  • mineral recycling and circular economy
  • energy security
  • emission reduction
  • renewable energy
  • integration
  • material efficiency
  • geopolitical risks
  • circular economy
  • sustainable environment

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 986 KB  
Article
Sustainable Manufacturing and Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries: Circular Economy Pathways for Critical Minerals
by Shalini Verma, Pushpender Singh, Akshoy Ranjan Paul, Soumyadipta Rakshit, Warren Bruckard and Nawshad Haque
Minerals 2026, 16(3), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030247 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 884
Abstract
India’s rapid growth in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems is driving strong growth in lithium-ion battery demand. This study provides an India-specific life cycle assessment of manufacturing using imported primary materials with pathways incorporating domestically recycled materials. Two battery chemistries of strategic [...] Read more.
India’s rapid growth in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems is driving strong growth in lithium-ion battery demand. This study provides an India-specific life cycle assessment of manufacturing using imported primary materials with pathways incorporating domestically recycled materials. Two battery chemistries of strategic relevance to India, nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC 532) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP), were evaluated using a functional unit of 1 kWh battery pack. The ReCiPe midpoint method was used to quantify the environmental impacts, with a focus on major emission indicators (CO2, NOx, SOx, and PM10) in the Indian electricity mix. The results show that NMC 532 batteries exhibit higher emissions than LFP batteries, largely due to the energy-intensive production of nickel and cobalt sulphate precursors. The incorporation of recycled materials substantially reduces emissions for both chemistries. It decreases by 30% for NMC532 and 36% for LFP. Hotspot analysis shows that precursor production, electricity use, and chemical inputs in hydrometallurgical recycling are the main causes of the remaining effects. This study shows that integrating recycling to India’s LIB supply chain improves climate and air quality outcomes, enhances critical mineral recovery and supports sustainable manufacturing through circular economy pathways for India’s battery and clean energy transition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Minerals for Energy Transition: Advancing Energy Security and Sustainable Manufacturing)
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23 pages, 5474 KB  
Article
Phosphate Waste Rock Piles as a Secondary Resource: Insights into Composition and Strategic Element Potential
by Mohamed Haidouri, Yassine Ait-Khouia, Abdellatif Elghali, Mustapha El Ghorfi, Mostafa Benzaazoua and Yassine Taha
Minerals 2025, 15(12), 1319; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121319 - 17 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1059
Abstract
The growing demand for critical elements vital to the energy transition highlights the need for sustainable secondary sources. Sedimentary phosphate mining generates waste rock known as spoil piles (SPs). These SPs retain valuable phosphate and other critical elements such as rare earth elements [...] Read more.
The growing demand for critical elements vital to the energy transition highlights the need for sustainable secondary sources. Sedimentary phosphate mining generates waste rock known as spoil piles (SPs). These SPs retain valuable phosphate and other critical elements such as rare earth elements (REEs). This study examines the potential of recovering these elements from SPs. A comprehensive sampling strategy was implemented, and a 3D topographic model was generated using drone imagery data. The model revealed that these SPs cover an area estimated at 48,633,000 m2, with a total volume of approximately 419,612,367 m3. Chemical analyses using X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques indicated valuable phosphate content, with an overall concentration of 12.6% P2O5 and up to 20.7% P2O5 in the fine fraction (<1 mm). The concentrations of critical and strategic elements in the SPs were as follows: magnesium [1%–8%], REEs [67–267 ppm], uranium [48–173.5 ppm], strontium [312–1090 ppm], and vanadium [80–150 ppm]. Enrichment factors showed that these elements are highly concentrated in fine fractions, with values exceeding 60 for Y, 40 for Sr, and 780 for U in the +125/−160 µm fraction. A positive correlation was observed between these elements and phosphorus, except for magnesium. Automated mineralogy confirmed that the fine fraction (<1 mm) contains more than 50% carbonate-fluorapatite (CFA), alongside major gangue minerals such as carbonates and silicates. These findings demonstrate the potential for sustainable recovery of phosphate, magnesium, REEs, strontium, vanadium, and uranium from phosphate mining waste rock. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Minerals for Energy Transition: Advancing Energy Security and Sustainable Manufacturing)
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16 pages, 9468 KB  
Article
Recovery of Tetrahedrite from Mining Waste in Spain
by Ester Boixereu-Vila, Paula Adánez-Sanjuán, Ramón Jiménez-Martínez, Concepción Fernández-Leyva and Dulce Gómez-Limón
Minerals 2025, 15(7), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15070703 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1062
Abstract
The present study is part of the Horizon Europe-START project, which aims to recover tetrahedrite-group minerals present in mine dumps to be used as raw materials for the manufacture of thermoelectric devices. The aim of this work is to identify the mining waste [...] Read more.
The present study is part of the Horizon Europe-START project, which aims to recover tetrahedrite-group minerals present in mine dumps to be used as raw materials for the manufacture of thermoelectric devices. The aim of this work is to identify the mining waste facilities selected in Spain for the recovery of tetrahedrite and to outline the mineral processing operations performed on samples from each site to separate and concentrate this mineral. Ore deposits across Spain were selected based on the potential presence of tetrahedrite in their mining waste. A total of five deposits have been sampled, at which subsequent mineral separation and concentration tests have been conducted. A separation flowsheet is proposed in order to extract a high-purity tetrahedrite concentrate. Experimental results indicate two distinct options for separation approaches, depending on a key parameter that proves decisive in the processing of this mineral, which is whether the mineral paragenesis includes siderite. This study has demonstrated the technical feasibility of concentrating minerals of the tetrahedrite group through simple, cost-effective physical separation techniques—specifically magnetic and gravity separation—where the liberation size of the tetrahedrite exceeds 0.063 mm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Minerals for Energy Transition: Advancing Energy Security and Sustainable Manufacturing)
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