Australia’s coal-fired power stations generate millions of tonnes of fly ash each year, much of it stored in landfill or slurry ponds as industrial waste.
Now, engineers at Monash University have developed breakthrough technology that transforms this byproduct into a rich source of rare earth elements essential for clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
The innovation, described in Monash Lens, is capable of recovering more than 90 per cent of the critical minerals contained in coal ash.
Significantly, the process extracts all 17 rare earth elements — metals vital to the production of wind turbines, smartphones, electric vehicles and defence technologies.
Professor Sankar Bhattacharya, Head of Monash’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, said the discovery points to a future in which Australia could bolster its mineral supplies without expanding traditional mining.
“Australia’s coal-fired power stations produce millions of tonnes of fly ash annually – traditionally treated as waste,” he said.
“Our research shows this ash holds valuable rare earth metals essential for powering future technologies.”
“Our urban mining method can recover all 17 rare earth elements with over 90 per cent efficiency, providing a safer and more sustainable alternative to conventional mining.”
The breakthrough has significant implications for supply chain security.
Australia is already a leading supplier of critical minerals but relies heavily on conventional extraction, which faces increasing environmental and geopolitical pressures.
By unlocking value from existing waste streams, the technology could double the country’s available supply of these essential materials — without opening a single new mine.
Dr Bennet Thomas, a Victorian Royal Society Young Scientist prize winner and co-developer of the process, emphasised both the economic and environmental benefits.
“Recovering rare earth elements from coal ash not only addresses a significant waste problem but also strengthens Australia’s supply chain resilience for critical materials,” Dr Thomas said.
“With the right support, we can scale up this technology to create new regional jobs and help Australia lead the global transition to clean energy and advanced manufacturing.”
The research team believes its scalable process could be implemented near existing coal-fired power stations, turning an environmental liability into a critical resource.
At a time when global demand for rare earth materials is soaring, the Monash innovation offers Australia a unique opportunity: to clean up legacy waste while fuelling the industries of the future.
