In late 2025, portions of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy provisions were curtailed or delayed due to shifting political priorities and budget negotiations.
While new mining operations may ease some of the pressure on rare earth supply chains, they will not replace the critical role of recycling.
This manganese-cobalt oxide catalyst demonstrated more than two months of stable performance, a 100-fold improvement over previous iridium-free alternatives.
The failure to reclaim this material contributes to rising global e-waste, which reached over 62 million metric tons in 2022.
Even more groundbreaking, this material also exhibits superconductivity with the ability to conduct electricity with zero resistance.
With an estimated value of $1.5 trillion and the potential to yield up to 40 million metric tons of lithium, this volcanic deposit is being hailed as one of the largest in the world.
