UCORE RARE METALS INC. Ucore Rare Metals Inc. provided an update on the commercial deployment of its RapidSXTM rare earth element separation technology platform at the Company's prospective Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex. The Ucore, Innovation Metals Corp. Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. and Mech-Chem Associates Inc. commercialization team executing the design, construction, and commissioning of the RapidSXTM REE demonstration-scale plant will be the core team responsible for the development of the LSMC in conjunction with a yet to be selected local design and build construction entity.
The concept of building a plant within an existing building is the go-forward engineering process that the Team will replicate to create the first full-scale SMC within one of three designated Louisiana brownfield site ii facilities once the final location is determined. -2- As Ucore announced on October 17, 2022, the LSMC is scheduled to initially process 2,000 tonnes of total rare earth oxides by the end of 2024, increasing to 5,000 tonnes by 2026. In early November, Ucore's VP and COO, Mike Schrider, conducted a second inspection trip to each of the facilities and continued discussions with local and regional economic development authorities and other entities to discuss the mutual fit within the various communities.
Stemming from these meetings, Ucore has been in continuous contact with these local development entities, financial institutions, and others to determine the best long-term site location for the planned LSMC. Ucore's LSMC is being designed to: process 2,000 tonnes of TREO from mixed rare earth concentrates on a per annum basis in the first and second year of operation, after that, expanding to 5,000 tpa: from multiple US-friendly sources, including heavy REE and light REE feedstocks. initially be capable of processing all RapidSXTM splits required to produce individual praseodymium, neodymium, terbium, and dysprosium from each applicable feedstock source.
The product line will expand to other individual rare earth elements as the Western REE market develops.
