Saskatchewan processing plant first to produce rare earth metals in North America 

The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) announced Wednesday that its rare earth processing facility in Saskatoon produced rare earth metals at a commercial scale this summer  – ahead of schedule – making the Canadian province the first and only jurisdiction to do so in North America.

In July, SRC finalized tolling agreements with several international clients to convert individual rare earth oxides into metals using metal smelting at the facility.

Since 2020, SRC’s rare earth processing facility has received C$71 million in funding from the government of Saskatchewan, as well as C$30 million in combined funding from the government of Canada. The funding was instrumental in helping construct a vertically and laterally integrated “minerals to metals” facility equipped with state-of-the-art, proprietary technology, SRC said.

Using in-house developed technology in metal smelting, SRC’s facility is ready to produce 10 tonnes of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) metals per month, with purities greater than 99.5% and conversions greater than 98%, the Council said.

“Saskatchewan [is] the first and only jurisdiction in North America to produce these rare earth metals, further establishing a rare earth technological hub here in the province,” Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in a media statement.

“This represents a significant opportunity for Saskatchewan to be a world leader in the area of critical mineral development by establishing a secure and sustainable rare earth supply chain,” Moe said.

Once fully operational in early 2025, SRC’s rare earth processing facility is expected to produce approximately 400 tonnes of NdPr metals per year, enough to power 500,000 electric vehicles.