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Rare Element Resources Advances Proprietary Separation Technology as Market Seeks New Sources of Critical Rare Earths

by Rare Element Resources | Jun 13, 2019
Rare Element Resources is pleased to announce additional significant progress on the previously announced third-party pilot scale testwork relating to its proprietary rare earth separation technology.

June 13, 2019 – Littleton, Colorado – Rare Element Resources Ltd. (“RER” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: REEMF) is pleased to announce additional significant progress on the previously announced third-party pilot scale testwork relating to its proprietary rare earth separation technology.  This work is being conducted by Umwelt-und Ingenieurtechnik GmbH Dresden (“UIT”), an affiliate of Synchron, a significant shareholder of the Company. RER engaged UIT to conduct a pilot plant campaign in February 2019 to verify, at pilot plant scale, all process steps from the hydrometallurgical process already validated to the final separation of Nd/Pr oxide.  

UIT is currently operating a large-scale hydrometallurgical pilot plant in Germany. Preliminary results, using RER’s proprietary technology, indicate the successful extraction of Nd/Pr and other rare earth elements, contained in a high-purity rare earth oxide (REO). UIT will continue to operate the pilot plant to produce REO from ore obtained at the Company’s Bear Lodge Project in Wyoming. Once sufficient REO is produced, UIT will begin the separation test phase, scheduled for the third quarter of 2019. The separation pilot plant test will utilize the Company’s enhanced proprietary technology to produce several products- a high-purity neodymium/praseodymium (Nd/Pr) oxide, lanthanum (La) oxide, and a mixed mid-and heavy rare earth concentrate. The enhanced process, if successful, is expected to significantly reduce process steps and operating costs as well as further reduce environmental impacts and associated costs. 

The testwork is progressing at a time when sources of rare earths outside of China are considered critical as illustrated by the current trade issues between the United States and China. Reported Nd/Pr prices have risen more than 35% in the past few months due to the escalating trade restrictions.

Randall J. Scott, President and CEO of RER stated, “Worldwide recognition of the critical nature of rare earths, including the products that will be produced from the rare earth minerals at our Bear Lodge Project in Wyoming, continues to intensify. We now have significant additional third-party confirmation and optimization of our proprietary technology for the separation and production of market-ready Nd/Pr oxide. Bear Lodge is one of the highest-grade Nd/Pr rare earth resources in the world. Current market demand for non-Chinese sources of the key Nd/Pr product needed for permanent magnets, especially for defense systems, electric vehicles and electronics, makes the timing of the project even more important. Input from members of Congress and federal agencies have revealed a high level of interest in the Bear Lodge project, particularly due to our more sustainable technology and the inclusion of magnet elements in our ore.”  

Environmental baseline studies, updated in 2018, and the proprietary processing and separation technology confirmation, support the continuation of permitting and licensing for the Bear Lodge Project.  Given the critical nature of rare earth materials, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on June 6, 2019 new streamlined permitting initiatives for critical minerals projects, like Bear Lodge, which should accelerate the permitting timeline. 

Synchron and its affiliated General Atomics companies are a privately held group of companies engaged in advanced research, technology, products and systems for the energy and defense sectors. 

Rare Element Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded, strategic materials company focused on delivering rare earth products for technology, energy and defense applications by advancing the Bear Lodge Critical Rare Earth Project in northeast Wyoming. Bear Lodge is a significant mineralized district containing many of the less common, more valuable, critical rare earths that are essential for high-strength permanent magnets, electronics, fiber optics, laser systems for health and defense, as well as many evolving technologies like electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. 

Please contact Randy Scott at +1 720-278-2460 or rscott@rareelementresources.com, for additional information.


Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation in the United States and Canada.  Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are usually identified by our use of certain terminology, including “will,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “should,” “seeks,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “has potential to,” or “intends,” or by discussions of strategy or intentions.  Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the impact of the completed and ongoing testwork to the Company and the Bear Lodge Project, including the ability to restart permitting of the project following testwork completion, testwork progression plans and timelines, and the potential ramifications and applications of its rare earth technology, or governmental initiatives. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to remain compliant with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting requirements, market conditions, and other matters discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, and our other periodic and current reports filed with the SEC and available on www.sec.gov and with the Canadian securities commissions available on www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management.  Please refer to the discussion of these and other uncertainties and risk factors set out in our filings made from time to time with the SEC and the Canadian regulators, including, without limitation, our reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.  Any forward-looking statement made by us in this news release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. While we may elect to update our forward-looking statements at any time, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

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State and community leaders joined Senator Barrasso, Neal Blue and Brent Berg with the ceremonial groundbreaking shovel

Ceremonial groundbreaking with Senator Barrasso, state and community leaders, Neal Blue (GA) and Brent Berg (RER) 

The Company and General Atomics (GA), supported by state and community leaders, celebrated a ceremonial groundbreaking for their rare earth demonstration plant.

The presentation at the Open House made by Mr. Berg can be found here.

For a summary of the event, please click here.

Please click here to see a video replay from the Newcastle News Letter Journal of the event.

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Interim President, CEO and Director

Continuing Our Progress

As I step into the role of Interim President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) for the coming weeks, I do so with confidence that we will seamlessly continue on the path the Board has set for us of progressing construction of the demonstration plant toward operations this summer, and in continuing to build awareness of the Company, the Bear Lodge Project, and the importance of establishing a secure domestic rare earth supply chain.

Please click here to read full content

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Services to the site are being upgraded, including power, water and sewer, to support future plant operations.  Mild weather has allowed us to progress this and other outdoor work.

World-Class Technology Partner

General Atomics Fact Sheet
In 2017, an affiliate of General Atomics, one of the largest, most advanced technology companies in the world, took an equity position in Rare Element Resources.  Since that time, they have brought the full force of their technology development team enhance the Company's recovery/separation technology.
To learn more about General Atomics Click Here

Bear Lodge Panoramic
Sample Drilling
Core Samples

The Bear Lodge Project area is a significant mineralized district that contains one of the largest disseminated rare earth deposits in North America. This deposit contains many of the less common, more valuable rare earths that are essential for the magnet materials used in electronics, fiber optics, laser systems for health and defense, and many evolving green technologies, such as hybrid cars, solar panels and wind turbines. Rare Element Resources owns 100% of the Project. 

During the last few years, the Company, along General Atomics, whose affiliate is RER's majority shareholder, have been advancing their proprietary extraction/separation technology and have successfully produced commercial-grade neodymium/praseodymium (Nd/Pr) oxide in pilot-plant testing.  These materials are key components to the fast-growing, permanent magnet sector. The next step will be operations of a demonstration plant, which is currently under construction in Upton, WY.  Results generated from operating this plant will be used for the design and economic evaluation of a commercial rare earth processing facility. 

Project Highlights

  • Proprietary Rare Earth Extraction/Separation Technology – Successfully advanced the Company’s technology and produced neodymium/praseodymium (Nd/Pr) oxide in pilot-plant testing. Construction of a demonstration plant is currently underway to prove the scalability of the process and define the requirements for a commercial plant.
  • World-Class Technology Partner and Majority Shareholder – General Atomics, through its affiliate, is the majority shareholder in Rare Element Resources, is a technology leader with a proven track record of bringing new ideas to market.  Their understanding of the strategic role rare earths play in numerous advancing technologies makes them keenly aware of the need for a secure, domestic supply of rare earths. Their relationship within the U.S. Government have been essential to our ability to advance our technology.
  • Bear Lodge Project – Well-defined resource with excellent concentrations of the rare earth elements essential to high-strength, permanent magnets and the many industries that depend on them.  Two of those industries, electric vehicles and wind turbines, are expected to drive a doubling of demand for magnet materials in the next 10 years.
  • Strategic Location – Located in northeast Wyoming, the Bear Lodge Project has easy access to a major interstate, transcontinental rail, natural gas and low-power.  The area has existing infrastructure with a ready and skilled workforce.  The State of Wyoming has a rich history of mineral development and a pro-business focus, and its leaders are actively committed to economic diversification. 
  • Strong Federal and State Support – Both the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) have shown their support for the Project through funding of over $26M for the demonstration plant.  The DOE continues to pursue ways to secure sources for material that will be key to industrial needs, especially those that support the country’s initiative of reducing carbon emissions, like electric vehicles and wind turbines. The WEA is supporting the State’s desire to diversify employment and understands that Wyoming can play a key role in developing a domestic supply chain – from minerals to magnets. 
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