Littleton-based Rare Element Resources Ltd. (OTCQB: REEMF) has received final operations approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its rare earth processing and separation demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming. This approval follows the recent acceptance of the operations budget by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The demonstration plant is designed to advance the company’s proprietary processing and separation technology, generating operational and economic data to inform the design of a commercial-scale facility. Jaye Pickarts, recently appointed COO, said, “Following our previously announced DOE operations approval, we progressed the final pre-operational work at the plant, including preparing the sample feed material from our Bear Lodge project, and finalizing the plant’s equipment installation and interconnections, including final electrical, instrumentation and controls, and mechanical systems.”
He added, “Currently, pre-startup testing of each of the plant’s processes as well as installation of our one-of-a-kind proprietary control system are progressing. The receipt of the NRC amendment now clears the way for the shakedown of equipment to commence, leading to the planned progression to full operations.”
Rare Element Resources Ltd. focuses on delivering rare earth products for technology, energy and defense applications by advancing the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project in northeast Wyoming, a significant mineralized district containing critical rare earths needed for various modern technologies.
