Vital Metals Limited has launched rare earth pro-duction at its Nechalacho project in Canada, becoming the country’s first rare earth producer, and North America’s second.
The project, located in the Canadian Northwest Territories, com-menced through ore crushing. The installation of an ore sorter was recently completed, with its commissioning underway, the company said in a statement.
“Vital will stockpile beneficiated material for transport to Saskatoon rare earth extraction plant later this year,” the statement said.
“Mining activities are over 30% complete with waste material re-moved from the pit to enable the first blast of ore on 28 June and we are now stockpiling ore for the crusher,” said Geoff Atkins, the man-aging director of Vital Metals.
“We will continue to ramp up crushing and ore sorting with full pro-duction rates expected to be achieved in July. Beneficiated material will be stockpiled for transport to our extraction plant in Saskatoon,” he said.