UND, Bulgarian Energy Holding forge new partnership on rare earth elements research

Agreement builds on UND’s world leadership in extracting rare earth elements from lignite coal

UND is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Bulgarian Energy Holding to establish a collaborative research initiative focused on the exploration and sustainable development of rare earth elements in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Energy Holding is a state-owned energy holding company in Bulgaria.

UND Vice President for Research & Economic Development Scott Snyder, Dean of the College of Engineering & Mines Ryan Adams and BEH representatives officially executed the agreement last week in New York City, marking the beginning of a strategic trans-Atlantic partnership aimed at advancing both scientific understanding and practical applications of critical minerals.

“We are excited to build on this partnership with Bulgaria as part of UND’s wider efforts to meet the rapidly growing need for critical minerals of the United States and our allies,” Snyder said. “As we work to commercialize this innovative technology in North Dakota, our MOU with Bulgaria represents another step in using the results of UND research in supporting economic development here at home and around the world.”

Adams agreed. “This agreement with Bulgaria Energy Holding gives us an opportunity to expand on our work in critical minerals and help one of our NATO allies,” he said. “We are very excited to enter into this agreement and look forward to strengthening our relationship with the people of Bulgaria.”

Leveraging UND’s expertise

Rare earth elements play an essential role in modern technologies, renewable energy systems, electronics and national security. The technology to extract these elements from lignite coal was developed at UND’s College of Engineering & Mines and the University’s Energy & Environmental Research Center, with state and federal support.

UND has built a prototype plant to demonstrate the feasibility at scale of this technology, and the technology is widely considered to be the gold standard of REE extraction from lignite. In addition, UND is actively working toward building a large commercially viable REE extraction facility based on this technology in western North Dakota to use North Dakota coal to support the industrial and national security needs of the United States.

Initial analyses suggest that the composition of lignite in Bulgaria’s Maritsa Basin is analogous in key respects to coal mined in North Dakota, offering a strong technical foundation for collaboration.

The new agreement will enable BEH and UND to pool resources, expertise and technologies to:

• Conduct mineralogical characterization, advanced laboratory testing and technological validation
• Perform techno-economic studies, environmental impact assessments and sustainable resource management planning
• Establish a Center for Critical Raw Materials Research and Knowledge in Bulgaria to support European supply chains
• Explore the potential of processing lignite from the Maritsa Basin in Bulgaria for extraction of rare earth elements with high added value

Through this initiative, UND and Bulgarian Energy Holding aim to foster innovation, reduce strategic dependencies and advance low-impact mining and processing practices.

Prime Minister of Bulgaria: An ‘extremely important’ agreement

As quoted by the government press office on Sept. 24, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said the signing is “extremely important not only for the development of the Bulgarian mining industry, but also for the technological advancement of both Bulgaria and the United States.

“Bulgaria and the United States are not only partners in strategic dialogue, but also allies who value the achievements and choices of our civilization,” Zhelyazkov added.

He emphasized the potential of scientific collaboration: “Through the development of the research capacity of the University of North Dakota, we can expand the possibilities contained in the Bulgarian subsoil.

“Without the scientific potential and know-how that you possess, it will be very difficult to achieve what we expect in the Maritsa Basin and in other places, for the benefit and prosperity of our nations,” the prime minister continued.

The prime minister and a Bulgarian government delegation were in the U.S. for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The signing took place at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United Nations.

Next steps and implementation

Following the signing, expert teams from UND and BEH convened to develop an initial action plan. Key near-term steps include:

• Expanded geological surveys and new coal sampling across the Maritsa Basin
• Pilot laboratory testing of extraction methods tailored to Bulgarian lignite
• Preparation of a pre-feasibility study to evaluate technological viability and economic returns
• Engagement with Bulgarian universities, national scientific agencies, and regional stakeholders in support of the national program on critical and strategic materials

Looking ahead

UND and Bulgarian Energy Holding envision this agreement as the beginning of a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership, the officials agreed. By uniting scientific capacity and institutional commitment, both parties hope to contribute to resilient, sustainable supply chains for strategic minerals — and to the broader transition to clean energy technologies.

“As we are working towards commercializing our technologies in North Dakota and domestically, we are very excited to take this step with Bulgaria to expand the reach of our work,” said Dan Laudal, executive director of the UND College of Engineering & Mines Research Institute, who also took part in the negotiations.

“This is, I hope, the first of many such partnerships with allied nations around the world. I give all of the credit for this important milestone to the fantastic research team at the College of Engineering & Mines’ Center for Process Engineering Research. I can speak for the team when I say we’re eager to get started in this collaboration with Bulgarian Energy Holding.”