The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - February 21, 2024
Natural Resources Canada is investing $5 million into expanding the capabilities of Saskatchewan Research Council's rare earth processing and separation facility in Saskatoon, Sask., to include the production of dysprosium and terbium oxides.
Saskatchewan Research Council built its own proprietary solvent extraction cells for the technology firm's first-of-its-kind rare earth processing facility.
With a C$5 million (US$3.7 million) investment into Saskatchewan Research Council's (SRC) rare earth processing and separation facility in Saskatoon, Sask., Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is doubling down on its support of technologies that will help bolster Canada's leadership in responsible production of critical minerals needed for the clean energy and digital economy.
"Separating these rare earths is instrumental in the manufacturing of high-grade permanent magnets which are used in global modern technology," said Saskatchewan Research Council President and CEO Mike Crabtree.
Earlier this month, NRCan announced plans to invest C$4.2 million (US$3.1 million) into the RapidSX rare earths separation platform being developed in Ontario by Ucore Rare Metals Inc.
Now, NRCan is making a similar investment in SRC's C$71 million (US$53 million) facility that is establishing the Canadian Prairies city of Saskatoon as a North American rare earths hub.
While the technologies developed by Ucore and SRC are different, they have a common goal – tackle the most complex link in rare earth supply chains, which is separating the tightly interlocked rare earths into the individual elements needed for electric vehicles, wind turbines, high-tech devices, and a broad array of other commercial and industrial applications.
"Demand for these resources is going to grow exponentially as we build up a low-carbon economy," said Canada Minister of Energy and Natural Resource Jonathan Wilkinson. "That is why we are taking action to build resilient and secure supply chains that provide the materials we, and nations around the world, need, right here in Canada."
SRC, which is the second-largest research and technology organization in Canada, has been providing analytical, engineering, and digital solutions to mining industry clients for more than 70 years. These attributes make the Saskatchewan-based research firm uniquely qualified to lead Canada's efforts to offer an alternative to China for rare earths.
"Additional investment into the REE industry is imperative as Saskatchewan helps develop a cutting-edge and secure REE supply chain in North America to decrease reliance on supply from China," said Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan's minister responsible for SRC. "Demand for these resources is increasing and Saskatchewan aims to be a world leader in supplying the rare earth market."
SRC's mineral processing expertise is one of the reasons Vital Metals Ltd. selected Saskatoon as the locale to set up a plant to process rare earths concentrates from its Nechalacho mine project in Northwest Territories.
While technical and financial difficulties resulted in Vital scrapping its Saskatoon REE plant and reorganizing with the backing of China-based Shenghe Resources Holding Co., SRC is having better success with its rare earths processing and separation technologies.
Currently, SRC's facility has the capability to separate neodymium and praseodymium, which are the primary rare earths used in the powerful permanent magnets for EV motors, wind turbine generators, and countless other applications are then processed into rare earth metal.
The C$5 million in federal funding will support the ability to separate dysprosium and terbium, which are less abundant and higher-valued rare earths that add heat resistance and durability to rare earth magnets used in EV motors and wind turbines.
With the expansion NRCan is helping to fund, the SRC Saskatoon plant is expected to have the capacity to produce 20 metric tons of dysprosium and five metric tons of terbium, enough to improve the durability of magnets for the motors of 5 million EVs per year.
"Critical minerals like the rare earth elements that will be produced through SRC's innovative new separation process are integral parts of the electric vehicle value chain," said Wilkinson.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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