BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) - ILLINOIS RARE EARTH NOVEL EXTRACTION AND SUPPLY (IRENES) THE ILLINOIS RARE EARTH NOVEL EXTRACTION AND SUPPLY (IRENES) PROJECT SEEKS TO PERFORM THE FRONT END ENGINEERING AND DESIGN (FEED) NEEDED TO ENHANCE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE UNITED STATES, DRIVE THE CREATION OF GOOD PAYING UNION JOBS, TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS, AND ENSURE ACCESS TO ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES BY ESTABLISHING A FULLY INTEGRATED VERTICAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR SEVERAL CRITICAL MINERALS AND RARE EARTH METALS THAT WOULD BE LOCATED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. THE PROJECT WILL VALIDATE AN INTEGRATED PROCESS DESIGN THAT INCLUDES SELF-GENERATED SULFURIC ACID, HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF TARGET ELEMENTS WITH MINIMIZED CHEMICAL CONSUMPTION, AND NOVEL ELECTROWINNING OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS AND SPECIALIZED CRITICAL MINERAL PRODUCTS AND CO-PRODUCTS. KEY FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE MODULARIZATION AND ORGANIZATION OF DESIGN INTO PROCESS TRAINS FOR PHASED EXECUTION AND FLEXIBILITY, TOTAL UTILIZATION OF THE MINE WASTE FEEDSTOCK, AND CAPTURE AND BENEFICIATION OF PROCESS WASTES TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND LIMIT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. THE PROJECT WILL SEEK TO MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF THE TARGET COAL MINE WASTE STREAM WITH THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE EFFICIENCY EXTRACTION AND PROCESSING, MINIMIZE CHEMICAL INPUTS, AND VALORIZE (TO THE EXTENT PRACTICAL) ALL CO-PRODUCT STREAMS. THE DESIGN BASIS INCLUDES PROCESSING APPROXIMATELY 300,000 TONNE/YEAR OF COAL MINE WASTE TO PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 50 TONNE/YEAR OF MIXED RARE EARTH OXALATE AND APPROXIMATELY 20,000 TONNE/YEAR OF HIGH-PURITY ALUMINUM OXIDE. RAW MATERIALS ARE FURTHER REFINED TO PRODUCE LITHIUM, SCANDIUM, NEODYMIUM, AND PRASEODYMIUM METALS; AND HIGH-PURITY OXIDES OF DYSPROSIUM, NICKEL, COBALT, MANGANESE, ZINC, AND POTENTIALLY TERBIUM.