State-owned mineral and metallurgical innovation company Mintek officially opened a rare earths solvent extraction pilot plant at its head offices in Johannesburg earlier this month.

Research and development of the technology for the plant cost about R50-million, while the plant itself was valued at about R10-million, Mintek technology division GM Alan McKenzie revealed in response to a question from Mining Weekly at the launch event.

He pointed out that Southern Africa possessed significant rare-earth element deposits, highlighting that South Africa alone had over one-million tons of known rare-earth element deposits.

McKenzie said the plant had the potential to assist South Africa in growing its rare-earth element sector, as, unlike conventional refineries, it could process ore and chemical concentrates from multiple mines. This would enable mines, particularly those owned by junior miners, to combine their resources to establish one processing facility to be shared among them.

“Many rare-earth deposits are currently owned by junior miners and they are finding it very difficult to raise the money that is required to develop these projects. A significant portion of the costs of these operations is related to the refining of rare earths,” he said.

McKenzie said Mintek was confident that, in the medium to longer term, its pilot plant could act as a mechanism to reduce rare-earth element operational costs.

“The importance of rare-earth elements in the modern economy cannot be overemphasised owing to the rapidly increasing use of the materials in modern technologies, particularly in the manufacturing of clean technologies and military equipment,” stated Mineral Resources Minister Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi, who also spoke at the launch event.

He added that any reduction in the supply of rare-earth elements would likely lead to shortages of this material, which he described as being of “geostrategic importance”.