Canada’s potential as a top supplier of REEs Rare earth elements – Canada’s potential as a top supplier
Published on 2019 M08 7
On June 20, 2019, Canada and the US announced their commitment to develop a joint action plan focused on ensuring the future of the minerals industries in both countries, including secure and reliable North American supply chains. Through the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan, Canada is also committed to capitalizing on its strength to establish itself as a supplier of more diversified and cleaner minerals, including rare earth elements (REEs).
Canada has a reserve potential of over 15 million tonnes of rare earth oxides from 16 exploration projects at an advanced stage. This ranks us among the top five countries in the world with the potential to meet the high demand for REEs needed to produce computers, automobiles, jet aircrafts, wind turbines and many more items used on a daily basis.
Advantage in REE secondary sources
We also know very large quantities of REEs are present in secondary sources, leftover from the production of metals, like aluminum. This means that what was once considered waste can hold significant value. Canada has an opportunity to offer the world a more diversified and cleaner supply of REEs. This has the potential to further industrial spinoffs from developing a supply chain to meet higher demand in the future.
REEs may not stir as much excitement as gold or diamonds. But, any consumer relying on a smart phone or industries looking for energy-efficient and lower-cost solutions to supply the global market will want to find out what Canada has to offer.
Achievements of Canada’s REE program
Since 2015, R&D by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has focused on finding low-risk technology solutions to enable Canadian industries to produce, separate and process these extremely complex REE resources in a way that is less harmful to the environment than with primary sources. NRCan is investing $16 million in an REE program to develop efficient and viable metallurgical processes, inform Canadian regulations and improve our understanding of REE deposits in Canada.
What has been achieved so far? Industry has recognized the REE program as an excellent public-private partnership. Canadian expertise in REE hydrometallurgy has increased significantly, resulting in several new patented processes. One example is the direct oxalate precipitation process allowing REE removal directly from the leach solution, done without additional purification steps, at reduced costs and minimal REE losses.
REEs were also successfully extracted from coal fly ash. Modified residue from this processing solution generated a saleable product for construction materials. In some cases, the rewards from NRCan’s REE beneficiation work go further. One company benefitted from cost reductions – about $46M in capital and $3.5M in annual operational savings.
The program has also generated key data, like in the case of toxicity of REE processing chemicals. This type of research data will provide sound science and evidence for developing REE regulatory and environmental guidelines.
With all these measures in place – including the strong dialogue with the European Union on minerals and metals trade and investment under the Canada-EU Comprehensive Trade Agreement – our expertise and results so far, Canada has the potential of becoming a main source of REEs for the global supply chain.
Verffentlicht von
Glenn Mason
Assistant Deputy Minister / Sous-ministre adjoint at Natural Resources Canada, Lands and Minerals Sector
Ottawa, Ontario, Kanada
On June 20, 2019, Canada and the US announced their commitment to develop a joint action plan focused on ensuring the future of the minerals industries in both countries, including secure and reliable North American supply chains. Through the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan, Canada is also committed to capitalizing on its strength to establish itself as a supplier of more diversified and cleaner minerals, including rare earth elements (REEs). Read my first LinkedIn thought piece titled, "Rare earth elements – Canada’s potential as a top supplier" to learn more.
Janice Zinck
Director - Green Mining Innovation, base/precious metals, rare earths, chromite - CIM President
Ottawa und Umgebung, Kanada
Check out https://reechromite.ca/en/rare-earth-elements/research-and-development/ to learn more about the results under Canada's REE R&D Program
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rare-earth-elements-canadas-potential-top-supplier-glenn-mason