Rare Element Resources has been awarded a $4.4 million grant from the Wyoming Energy Authority for advancing the company’s rare earth processing and separation demonstration plant in Upton, Wyo.
The grant is a cost reimbursement award for future expenditures related to the project, which is also supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through a previously announced award. The total project cost is $44 million, with $21.9 million provided through the DOE.
“As we progress our demonstration plant through licensing, construction, and operations in the near-term, we will plan for the advancement of a commercial-scale plant to support the Bear Lodge deposit in the future,” said Brent Berg, president and CEO of Rare Element.
“We understand, as does Wyoming, that our project will serve as a cornerstone for the rare earth industry in Wyoming and America while providing a venue for worker training in rare earth processing and separation.”
The rare earth processing and separation plant project, led by General Atomics, is nearing the final design review milestone, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The demonstration plant will utilize the Rare Element’s proprietary technology and is expected to produce commercial-grade neodymium/praseodymium high-purity oxide. Previously stockpiled material from the company’s Bear Lodge deposit in northeast Wyoming will be processed in the plant.
Source: Rare Element Resources