Nuclear Energy-Water-Mineral Nexus

series of diagrams shows Co-production of minerals can transform desalination from an infrastructure cost to a mineral recovery industry with ×10 to ×30 the value of the desalination cost.
Co-production of minerals can transform desalination from an infrastructure cost to a mineral recovery industry with ×10 to ×30 the value of the desalination cost.

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory conducted the activity for this highlight

Innovation 
Aaron D. Wilson was nominated to represent the U.S. Department of Energy at Joint IAEA Technical Meetings (Dec 2023) on 1) Advances in Desalination Technologies and Uses for Optimal Coupling with Nuclear Plants, Including Small Modular Reactors and 2) Managing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material Legacy Sites.

Achievement  
Wilson presented “Mineral Recovery in the Blue Economy” to an audience of ~150 people, on the potential to reduce the financial burden of desalination through co-recovery of minerals (including critical materials) using dimethyl ether-driven fractional crystallization, a technology developed in CMI.

Significance and Impact

  • Highlighted a path to commercializing technologies important to infrastructure electrification (lightweighting and energy minerals) and material security (water and mineral).
  • Next steps include discussions of inter-connection between missions of DOE’s applied offices in the Energy-Water-Mineral Nexus. 

Hub Target Addressed 
Minimizing hazardous chemical use and waste generation.