The rapid growth of high-tech electronics has ignited a global race to secure the rare metals that comprise them.
Demand has surged for materials such as copper, nickel, cobalt and lithium, which are key components in green technologies such as batteries, electric vehicles and solar panels.
Similarly, consumer electronics such as cell phones and computer monitors, as well as defense applications like lasers and guidance systems, rely heavily on what’s known as rare earth elements (REE) – 17 metallic elements vital to digital devices.
Historically, China has exerted outsized influence over mineral supply chains, including controlling 60% of the world’s production of rare earth elements.
A U.S. Department of Defense report from 2021 also notes that China refines 60% of the world’s lithium and 80% of the world’s cobalt, two core inputs to high-capacity batteries.
With increasing attention paid to supply chain security, few states carry as much weight as Arizona, which boasts a long history in mining, plentiful mineral resources and a fast-expanding industry base.
A centuries-old tradition
Pictured at the bottom left of Arizona’s vibrant state seal is the poised figure of a miner, leaning against a pick and shovel beside a quartz mill.
The mining of quartz and other surface minerals by Native Americans in Arizona extends back hundreds of years. By the time Arizona became a state in 1912, its mining industry, which revolved around copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold ore, had grown to a $67 million enterprise – equivalent to more than $1.4 billion today.
Arizona continues to be a mineral producing powerhouse. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona produced more value than any other state in nonfuel minerals last year. Arizona is the leading copper producing state, responsible for 71% of copper output in the U.S.
Helping advance and improve mineral production and refinement are the state’s top-ranked research universities.
The University of Arizona, which has been educating students in mining and mineral resources since 1885, operates the only underground mining lab with a working vertical shaft in the nation, the San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory. The laboratory affords students a one-of-a-kind hands-on training experience and is considered a center of excellence in mine health and safety.
At Arizona State University (ASU) expert researchers are involved in advanced study areas such as developing the thermodynamic information needed for critical mineral production, extracting critical materials from waste streams, and improving smelting and production processes for metals and alloys.
In addition, Northern Arizona University has partnered with ASU to reduce air emissions associated with mining techniques. The universities are developing an air-capture system that would collect carbon dioxide emissions and convert them into a wide range of energy-dense fuels, fuel feedstocks or fine chemicals.
Tech talent in abundance
Arizona’s extensive history with mining is complemented today by one of the nation’s fastest growing technology ecosystems.
Advanced industries such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, aerospace and defense, renewable energy and more are flourishing.
“The technology supply chain is fueled by a multitude of factors, one of the most important being the raw material supply managed by the mining industry,” said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council and SciTech Institute.
The Fraser Institute, a leading Canadian think tank, ranks Arizona a top-five region globally on its 2022 Investment Attractiveness Index, which considers policy factors such as regulatory climate, taxation levels and infrastructure as well as mineral potential.
In addition, the state sits in close proximity to roughly half a dozen large scale lithium extraction projects. These projects include the Big Sandy Project, Lordsburg Lithium Project, Imperial Valley - Lithium Valley, Clayton Valley Project and Thacker Pass Project.
These projects are attracting innovators such as Arizona Lithium, which is developing the Big Sandy lithium project in northern Arizona. The company announced in July the signing of a 104,000-square-foot Lithium Research Center in Tempe, which will focus on lithium extraction and production for battery cell technology, creating more than 300 jobs.
These investments represent the tip of the iceberg of what may be to come. The Department of Defense estimates that for the world to keep track with stated climate goals, demand for lithium would need to grow by 4,000% over the next 25 years.
Arizona’s mining past is long and storied. Its future may be even brighter.
