The North Dakota Industrial Commission has approved over $4.8 million in grants through the Lignite Research Program for three projects aimed at supporting the state’s lignite industry. The funding decisions followed recommendations from the 26-member Lignite Research Council, which assists the Commission in administering the grant program.
Established in 1987, the Lignite Research, Marketing and Development program has provided more than $100 million to over 250 projects related to North Dakota’s lignite sector. The program is funded by revenue from both lignite severance tax and oil and gas production taxes.
The Lignite Research Council met on November 18 in Bismarck to review proposals before forwarding their recommendations to the Industrial Commission for final approval. The Commission consists of Governor Kelly Armstrong, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.
Approved projects include a $3,316,695 grant to the Lignite Energy Council for its “Enhance, Preserve and Protect the North Dakota Lignite Industry” initiative; $1.1 million to the University of North Dakota for “Pilot Expansion and Testing for Improving Lignite Fuels and REE Processing”; and $400,000 to Microbeam Technologies Inc. for “Efficient Refining of Germanium Metal from Fly Ash-Derived Concentrates.”
