The University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) has secured federal funding to develop a continuous induction-smelting process aimed at converting underutilised and lower-grade Iron Range ores into higher-value pig iron. The project was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation as one of 56 projects under a $117 million initiative focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing and critical-material supply chains. The NRRI-led project has received approximately $3 million in federal funding. Research will primarily be conducted at NRRI’s Coleraine facility, where the institute will carry out ore characterisation, feed preparation and pilot-scale testing. The project is also expected to bring new pilot equipment and additional research positions to the site.
