North Dakota’s abundant supply of lignite coal has been touted as a domestic source for critical minerals needed in magnets and electronics. The fertilizer made while refining for critical minerals would be different from the nitrogen fertilizer made at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s coal gasification plant near Beulah. That tour focused on the process UND has developed for removing critical minerals and rare earth elements from lignite coal before the coal is burned. With the fertilizer product providing much of the revenue in the short term, it would help research and developments of the critical minerals aspect of the operation. He said developing an industry that can take advantage of North Dakota’s critical minerals is where the real value lies.