University of Arizona Gets $20 Million to Bolster Underground Mining Lab
By Alexandra Pere, College of Engineering
The University of Arizona was awarded $20 million in funding from the Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation to add underground space, a microgrid, and electronics at its San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory for research and workforce development.
“This award is a tremendous milestone for the University of Arizona and for the future of American critical minerals,” said University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella. “This investment affirms our position at the center of the nation’s effort to secure its critical minerals supply, connecting workforce development and industry partnership. I am very proud of the faculty staff, and students whose dedication made this possible, and grateful to Assistant Secretary Robertson and the Department of Energy for their confidence in us.”
Photo: College of Engineering
Funding came a month after President Donald Trump announced during an Aug. 7 roundtable that the DOE had established PROSPECT – Providing Opportunities for Specialized Education in Critical Technologies – to double the number of graduates from the 14 accredited mining schools in the U.S.
Audrey Robertson, assistant secretary of energy and leader of the DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, recently visited the U of A campus to tour facilities and meet with faculty, researchers, students and university leaders.
The San Xavier Mine is a key feature of MiningWerx, a planned national hub for mining education and research meant to strengthen Arizona’s mining workforce and further secure the nation’s critical minerals supply. The mining lab is also student-led, providing essential hands-on leadership opportunities for upcoming mining engineers.
“By developing state-of-the-art proving grounds and a training center, we can prepare the workforce at every level,” said Kray Luxbacher, head of the School of Mining Engineering and Mineral Resources, Gregory H. and Lisa S. Boyce Leadership Chair of Mining and Geological Engineering and MiningWerx lead. “We will also be able to rapidly prove and transfer technology that improves production, efficiency, safety and environmental outcomes to the industry.”
Rapid development starts with a digital twin of the grounds, where industry partners test early-stage designs before equipment ever touches the ground. From there, companies have dedicated places on site to trial technology in a real-world environment while running their 24-hour production processes.
Industry partner Komatsu America Corp. and its nearby proving grounds are co-investigators on the project.
“Komatsu is grateful for the Department of Energy’s support and proud to collaborate with the University of Arizona on this important initiative,” said Michael Lewis, senior director of decarbonization and electrification at Komatsu. “Through our Decarbonization and Electrification Group and Arizona Proving Grounds, we are focused on developing and validating technologies that can help customers advance safer, more productive and lower-emission mining operations.”
An east decline added to the San Xavier Mine in 2020 replicates openings in modern operational hard rock mines. From 2023 to 2025, Komatsu spent $500,000 sponsoring research to test an autonomous jumbo – a computer-controlled drilling machine used for blasting and rock reinforcement – in the 427-foot decline.
“The San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory is one of the most unique assets at the University of Arizona, and this award will transform it into a national resource and global destination for mining,” said Kimberly L. Ogden, Craig M. Berge Interim Dean of the College of Engineering.
Luxbacher added that this funding strengthens the U of A’s contribution to national security.
“By bolstering the national mineral supply chain, we reduce reliance on foreign adversaries and build out a high-paying career field,” she said.
Pictured above – The $20 million announcement follows an Aug. 26 visit from the Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson (center) and Rachael Overbey (center, right), chief of staff to the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation. Photo: College of Engineering
