SRC's equipment can separate neodymium and praseodymium, which are then processed into rare earth metals. jon perez / sasktoday.ca
NRCAN injected nearly $5 million into the project.Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) is investing $4.99 million to build North America's first vertically integrated rare earth processing facility.
Since 2020, the Saskatchewan Research Council has been building and developing new technologies to establish a first-in-class fully integrated commercial demonstration rare earth processing facility with hydrometallurgy, solvent extraction and metal smelting stages.
According to SRC, the $71 million, Saskatchewan-funded facility will begin the establishment of a rare earths hub in Saskatchewan, shaping an industry model for future rare earths initiatives and chain development.
Currently, SRC's equipment can separate neodymium and praseodymium and then process these elements into rare earth metals. The funding will help SRC's facilities develop advanced technologies for separating dysprosium and terbium through NRCAN's critical minerals research, development and demonstration programs. The rare earths will be separated using SRC's proprietary, in-house developed solvent extraction technology, which makes Saskatchewan one of the few jurisdictions in the world with this capability, SRC claims.
"This funding enables SRC to complete an important step in the rare earth** chain, increasing the ability to demonstrate dysprosium and terbium separation in our rare earth processing facility," said Mike Crabtree, SRC's President and Chief Executive Officer. ”
The separation of these rare earth elements helps in the manufacture of advanced permanent magnets that are used in modern technology worldwide. ”