Boy_anupong | Moment | Getty ImagesFrom Pennsylvania to the north of England, coal mines helped to power the Industrial Revolution, turbocharging the economic growth of countries around the world. SubscribeIn May, U.S. firm Ramaco Resources offered some insight into how coal may have a role to play in the years ahead. "It is expected they can be mined using normal surface mining techniques and processed in a more economic and environmental manner than conventional REE mines." Elsewhere, researchers at Penn State have also been focusing on ways to source rare earths and critical minerals via waste from coal mines. Across the Atlantic, efforts to repurpose old coal mines so that they can be used for many more years to come have also been taking shape.

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Persons: Ramaco, REEs, CNBC's Kelly Evans, Randall Atkins Organizations: Greenpeace, UN, International Energy Agency, CNBC, Ramaco Resources, Weir International, U.S . Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, China, West Virginia University, U.S . Department of Energy, Penn State, Geothermal Engineering Limited Locations: Pennsylvania, England, U.S, REE, Wyoming, United States, China, Scotland