Rare Earth Processing Facility

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Rare Earth Processing Facility

Canada's First Rare Earth Processing Facility

The Government of Saskatchewan and SRC are excited to announce the development of a Rare Earth Processing Facility - the first-of-its-kind in Canada - laying the foundation for a Rare Earth Element (REE) supply chain in Saskatchewan and forming an industry model for future commercial REE resource expansion in the province. Read the News Release. 

Latest News

SRC is proud to announce that its Rare Earth Processing Facility located in Saskatoon, SK is ahead of schedule and produced rare earth metals at a commercial scale in summer 2024 – making Saskatchewan the first and only jurisdiction to do so in North America. 

Read the news release

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Resources

Learn more about our Rare Earth Processing Facility in these resources:

brochure 

FAQs 

 

SRC employs world-class REE experts and is a leader in the development of processing technologies. We are working closely with mining companies in Saskatchewan, Canada and globally on the concentration of REE ore. Learn more about our REE services

In the news

  • Stirring Things Up: SRC Advances Metal Smelting Technology - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter September 2024 - Read
  • SRC Rare Earth Processing Facility First to Produce Rare Earth Metals in North America - Read
  • Minister Wilkinson Announces Investment in Critical Minerals in Saskatchewan - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter May 2024 - Read
  • SRC Expects to Produce 400 Tonnes of Rare Earth Metals Per Year Beginning in 2025 - Read
  • Minister Vandal Announces Investment in Processing of Rare Earth Elements in Saskatchewan - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter February 2024 - Read
  • NRCan Funding Advances Technology at SRC's First-of-Its-Kind Rare Earth Processing Facility - Read
  • SRC and North West College Collaborate on New Plastic Welding Pilot Program - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter October 2023 - Read
  • Saskatchewan at the forefront of Rare Earth Elements - Read
  • Commerce Resources Signs LOI with SRC for Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter May 2023 - Read
  • SRC Rare Earth Processing Facility Statement - Read
  • Saskatchewan Releases New Critical Minerals Strategy - Read
  • SRC Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Star Group Ind. on Further Developing the REE Supply Chain - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter January 2023 - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter November 2022 - Read
  • How SRC is Using Metal Smelting for Rare Earths - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter June 2022 - Read
  • $7.5M for Rare Earth Elements Processing Facilities in Saskatchewan - Read
  • SRC Achieves a Significant Milestone in Advancing Canada's Rare Earth Element Supply Chain - Read
  • Building the Rare Earth Element Supply Chain: Challenges and Opportunities - Read
  • Government of Saskatchewan Provides Additional Funding for SRC Rare Earth Processing Facility Expansion - Read
  • SRC Signs Memorandum of Understanding with KOMIR on Critical Minerals - Read
  • SRC REE Newsletter March 2022 - Read
  • SRC Signs Letter of Intent with E-Tech Resources Inc. - Read
  • Search Minerals and SRC Enter Into Memorandum of Understanding - Globe Newswire
  • Vital Metals (VML) signs binding term sheet, through its subsidiary Cheetah Resources, with SRC to negotiate building and operating a rare earth extraction plant in Saskatoon, Canada - The Market Herald

“With its world-leading REE expertise, SRC is already working with industrial partners to develop company-specific REE concentration facilities in Saskatchewan, which is the precursor process to full REE processing. This Facility will allow for an environmentally sustainable, reliable, and strategic supply of REEs to be produced outside of China.”

- Mike Crabtree, SRC President and CEO

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Interested in bidding on work?

SRC Purchasing handles all requests for proposals, estimates and quotations to solicit bids for procurement contracts related to this Facility. Available opportunities will be posted on SaskTenders (Organization Type: Crown Corporation > Saskatchewan Research Council). 

For more information, please contact SRC Purchasing by email or phone at 1-306-933-5400. 

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REE processing at SRC graphic

REE Processing

The conversion of REE ore to individual REE products is done in two main stages. The first is the concentration of ore to mixed REE product. The second is the more complex separation stage that converts the mixed REE product to commercial pure-grade individual rare earth oxides. The Facility will address both stages of REE processing. 

  • Canada has some of the largest known reserves (measured) and resources (indicated) of REEs in the world, estimated at over 14 million tonnes of rare earth oxides (2021).

  • REEs are used in a variety of industrial applications, including electronics, clean energy, aerospace, automotive and defence.

Contact us

Questions? Get in touch with our team.

Our Rare Earth Experts
src muhammad imran

Muhammad is the Vice-President of SRC's REE Division. He started as a research engineer in the EOR Field Development Business Unit and then was assigned the responsibilities of Business Unit Manager in 2013. He then became the Director of Operations EOR Processes and Field Development. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering. His career highlights at SRC include many research projects, such as innovative proofs of concept, development and optimization of medium and heavy oil EOR processes, lab-scale equipment design, and physical and mathematical modelling.

src jack zhang

Jack is Associate Vice-President, Strategic Technologies at SRC. He has over 20 years of extensive industrial, engineering, operation and research experience. His major areas of focus include the processing of rare earth, uranium, potash and phosphate, rare metals, lithium, industrial minerals, as well as tailings/mine water/effluent treatment. At SRC, he has led and supervised numerous mineral processing, metallurgical testing, optimization and R&D projects for global clients. 

src baodong zhao

Baodong manages SRC's Mineral Processing team. He has more than 25 years of experience in metallurgical engineering and project management, particularly in rare earth mineral processing and hydrometallurgy. Baodong has led and participated in laboratory and pilot plant test work, as well as Preliminary Economic Assessments covering sample preparation, mineralogical characterization, beneficiation, hydrometallurgy and REE separation.

erin herman saskatchewan research council

Erin Herman is the Associate Vice-President of SRC's Rare Earth Element Division. Erin is also supervising a team of engineers and scientists to navigate the design, construction and commissioning of the Rare Earth Processing Facility by implementing innovative applied engineering, research, design, construction and maintenance projects. In addition, Erin is responsible for delivering on the execution of the next planned phases of the project.

Learn more about Erin

src petro nakutnyy

Petro is the Director of Research and Development for SRC's Rare Earth Element Division. He is a Professional Engineer and has over 15 years of experience testing innovative processes and developing solutions for the energy and mining industries. His major areas of expertise include design and operation of large-scale laboratory models, enhanced oil recovery and artificial intelligence. Petro and his team at SRC are currently working on REE processing optimization and automation.

src hamid salmasi

Hamid is an Engineering Manager in SRC’s Rare Earth Element Division. In addition to daily management tasks, Hamid has been working as the technical lead of SRC’s REE engineering team to ensure project requirements are met in a timely and professional manner, while complying with environmental, health and safety regulations and standards.

src vincent laniece

Vincent is the Director of Operations for SRC’s Rare Earth Processing Facility. His current focus is on operational readiness, which includes components such as developing the safety plan and securing permits for the facility, while also building a strong staff for 24-hour operations – all areas that he has expertise in.

Vincent is a Professional Engineer and Project Management Professional with a wealth of experience in project management and operations in the mining and nuclear industries.

src anton farber

Anton is a Project Lead with SRC's Engineering and Manufacturing Business Unit in the Rare Earth Element Division. Anton has expertise in mechanical design, Finite Element Analysis, data collection and analysis, and project management. Recently, Anton has been involved in the front-end engineering and project management of SRC's Rare Earth Processing Facility.

src nicole currie

Nicole is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Specialist in SRC's REE Division. Nicole currently works with an internal team to procure the chemicals and feed for SRC's Rare Earth Processing Facility. In the future, Nicole’s responsibilities will expand to include developing the framework for SRC’s Rare Earth Division's sustainability reporting mechanisms.

Nicole graduated from Saskatchewan Polytechnic as a CAD/CAM engineering technologist and has worked in design and manufacturing for the last decade.
 

src sunil sohani

Sunil is the Director of Quality and Safety in SRC's REE Division. Sunil brings a variety of strengths to the team, including an in-depth understanding of SRC. Before joining the REE team, Sunil led SRC’s company-wide Safety Services team for over 14 years.

Sunil has a background in engineering and holds a master’s degree in occupational health and environment. He looks forward to leveraging his education and experience to ensure the safety of SRC employees in its REE Division and developing a quality management system for SRC's Rare Earth Processing Facility.

Additional Resources

Rare Earth Processing Facility Brochure - View

Rare Earth Processing Facility FAQs - View

SRC Rare Earth Services - Learn more

Strategic metals on horizon as SRC looks for next 'big idea' - Read more

Saskatchewan - The Next Big Producer of Rare Earth Elements? - Read more

SRC Rare Earth Separation Pilot Plant Part of Appia Energy Proposal - Read more

Can innovation in rare earths solve processing challenges? - Read more