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A new cobalt mine, the first in decades, opened in Idaho Friday to meet the demand for a key rare-earth mineral used in electric vehicle batteries and other military and aerospace parts.
The mine, operated by Australia-based Jervois Global, is located near a defunct open-pit cobalt mine. In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, the new mine is mostly underground and will be capped once its operations eventually cease.
Department of Energy Undersecretary for Science and Innovation Geri Richmond told the crowd gathered for the opening that “We’re talking about building a world class clean energy economy, and this mine, this project … is key to that vision,” according to NPR.
