Alaska mining and Washington policy leaders gather to discuss forging a path forward to critical minerals in US's Arctic state.

Building upon the discussions and strategic ideas set in motion during the 2022 "Alaska's Minerals: A Strategic National Imperative" summit, the U.S. Department of Energy's Arctic Energy Office co-hosted a two-day summit this week to advance policy recommendations for development of critical mineral resources in the North American Arctic.

For the United States, this means Alaska.

DOE Arctic Energy Office is joined by Wilson Center, Rand Corp., and the University of Alaska in hosting the two-day "Critical Minerals in the Arctic: Forging the Path Forward" summit this week in Washington, DC.

"One of the conclusions from our August summit was the need to develop actionable policy and investment recommendations to take advantage of Alaska's tremendous critical mineral wealth," said University of Alaska President Pat Pitney. "The dialogue we will engage in over the next two days will focus on key challenges to developing Alaska's critical minerals in an environmentally responsible way."

This solutions-driven dialogue is focused on six areas essential to transforming Alaska's extremely mineral-rich geology into a source of the minerals and metals critical to the economy, security, and clean energy goals of the United States – community ownership, financing, infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, supply chains, and workforce development.

The centerpiece of the conversations is a tabletop exercise to quantify and prioritize the risks associated with developing Alaska's rich minerals potential.

While the findings of these closed-door discussions will not be made until briefs from the sessions are finalized, infrastructure and permitting timelines always loom large when it comes to developing Alaska's mineral potential.

America's critical need

The "Critical Minerals in the Arctic: Forging the Path Forward" summit held at the Wilson Center in the nation's capital comes at a time when the transition to low-carbon energy and transportation is powering enormous new demand for copper, graphite, rare earths, and a wide array of other common and niche minerals and metals.

The need for reliable sources of critical minerals and Alaska's potential to provide them was laid out in a Critical Minerals in the Arctic brief penned by Brett Watson, assistant professor of economics at the University of Alaska Anchorage's Institute for Social and Economic Research; Steve Masterman, a University of Alaska Fairbanks alumni and former geologist and director of the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys; and Erin Whitney, director of the DOE Arctic Energy Office.

"Critical materials play a vital role in powering modern technologies, from renewable energy systems and electric vehicles to advanced electronics and national defense. However, the United States faces challenges in securing a reliable supply of these materials, which are essential for its economic competitiveness and national security," the trio penned in the 15-page briefing.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the foremost authority on lithium battery supply chains, estimates that more than 300 new mines will need to come online by 2035 – just to produce the cobalt, graphite, lithium, and nickel that go into EV batteries.

This does not account for the enormous demands for rare earths needed for EV motors and wind turbines, an expected doubling of copper demand expected by 2035, or the minerals critical to clean energy and technology.

"With the increasing demand for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced electronics, the United States heavily relies on critical materials to drive innovation and maintain its global economic competitiveness," Watson, Masterman, and Whitney added.

Dependent on imports

During 2022, the U.S. was dependent on imports for more than half its supply of 50 out of the 64 nonfuel mineral commodities tracked by USGS and was 100% import-reliant for 15 of those.

The list of mined commodities that the U.S. is fully-dependent on foreign nations for its supply includes arsenic, used in semiconductors for high-tech devices and military hardware; gallium, a primary ingredient in semiconductors used in next-generation smartphones and telecommunication networks; graphite, the primary anode ingredient in lithium-ion batteries; and manganese, a largely overlooked metal in the cathode of EV batteries.

The U.S. is also more than 95% import-dependent for rare earths, a group of 15 elements critical to a wide range of high-tech, military, and commercial goods; 83% import-dependent for antimony, a metalloid that the Pentagon is particularly concerned about securing a reliable supply; and 77% import-dependent for tin, a metal that Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers ranked as most likely to be impacted by emerging technologies.

These are just a handful of the 50 minerals and metals that have been deemed critical to the U.S.

Watson, Masterman, and Whitney say China's control of the production of many critical minerals poses a significant challenge to America's ability to secure a reliable supply.

"China dominates the global supply chain of critical materials, accounting for a significant share of mining, processing, and refining capacity. This dependency raises concerns about supply disruptions, geopolitical risks, and market manipulation," they wrote.

This risk was underscored by the recent announcement that China is placing state-controlled restrictions on the export of two technology metals vital to computer chips – gallium and germanium.

Both of these critical metals are found in Alaska, and germanium is currently recovered from concentrates produced at Teck Resources Ltd.'s Red Dog zinc mine in the northwest corner of the Arctic state.

Why Alaska?

Gallium, germanium, and zinc are not the only critical minerals found in Alaska. North of 60 Mining News analysis has identified 49 out of the 50 U.S. critical minerals in mines, deposits, and prospects across the 49th State.

"All the way back to the days of the Gold Rush, Alaska has been famous for its mineral wealth," U.S. Geological Survey Director David Applegate said during the Alaska's Minerals – A Strategic National Imperative summit held last August.

This famed mineral wealth is due to a complex geological history that has led to the formation of a wide array of mineral deposit types across America's largest state, according to Watson, Masterman, and Whitney.

Wilson Center

More than 20 of the minerals considered critical to the United States are found alongside precious and base metals at mines and advanced exploration projects across Alaska.

"Alaska is the largest producer of zinc in the nation, contains the nation's largest graphite deposit, is the state with the only domestic tin resources and, has been a producer of critical minerals in times of national need," they wrote.

This includes providing a strategic source of tin, platinum group metals, chrome, tungsten, and antimony during World War II.

"Most of the commodities produced to support the war effort have not been significantly produced since, and the resources remain in place, creating a ripe environment for meeting the nations need for these critical minerals," the trio added.

Or, as Applegate put it during his summit address last year, "The Last Frontier remains a frontier for critical mineral resource development."

The conversations had during the two-day summit this week will discuss strategies and policies that could make America's Last Frontier and only Arctic state a domestic hub for the mineral and metals critical to the nation's economy, security, and clean energy goals.

Author Bio

Shane Lasley, Publisher

Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.

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