Canada launches AI plant to challenge China’s rare earth grip
Canada launches AI plant to challenge China’s rare earth grip
Canada launches AI plant to challenge China’s rare earth grip
cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7562103
In China, accounting for roughly 90 per cent of global rare earth refining capacity, a typical rare earth processing plant employs hundreds of workers moving through networks of large chemical tanks which is often hazardous work. In the Canadian facility, this process will instead be controlled by an AI-based operating system.
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Since 2020, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), a government-supported research organisation, has been building a rare earth processing facility funded by the provincial government of Saskatchewan and the federal government of Canada.
The plant covers the entire chain from mineral concentrate to finished metal. It includes hydrometallurgy, chemical separation and metal smelting – all based on proprietary technologies developed in-house. The system was designed with a focus on operator safety and reduced environmental exposure to hazardous substances.
The facility is expected to be substantially completed in September 2026 and commissioned by December of the same year. After a ramp-up period, full operations are planned for 2027.
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One of the most technically demanding parts of rare earth production is separating up to 17 chemically similar elements.
In many Chinese plants, this work involves more than 200 workers manually adjusting valves and chemical flows across large separation systems.
At the Saskatchewan facility, much of the process will instead be controlled by an AI-based operating system. The system continuously analyses thousands of data points and adjusts the process in real time.
The goal is to reduce waste, limit worker exposure to hazardous chemicals, and improve metal purity.
The facility is intentionally smaller than major Chinese plants, with roughly 25 to 30 per cent of the capacity of a full-scale refinery. For now, it functions largely as a demonstration plant for new processing technology.
Despite its size, developers say it can already produce high-purity rare earth metals.
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