Sask. could be 'major producer' of rare earth minerals

Mike Crabtree hopes Saskatchewan will serve as a catalyst for the rare earth elements industry.

“The actual demand for rare earths is going to hockey stick literally over the next 10 years and Saskatchewan has the opportunity to be a major producer,” said Crabtree, president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Research Council.

Crabtree made his comments at Nutrien Tower in Saskatoon on a panel for Saskatchewan Mining Week.

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He said all 17 rare earth elements can be found in Saskatchewan. They are used in products such as cell phones, televisions, computers, vehicles and wind turbines.

The council is set to begin opening its $35 million rare earth processing facility next year, the first of its kind in North America.

Crabtree said the West must establish its own supply chain for the products, or else be "completely reliant on China."

Saskatchewan Mining Association Chair Larry Long said a lot of exploration is happening in the province, which bodes well for the mineral industry.

Long is also the senior vice president of potash operations at Nutrien. He addressed the role his company is playing to help with the Russia-Ukraine conflict's effect on global food security. The company has upped

its potash production to 15 million tonnes from 14 million.

“We're going to have to help with food security in places that just don't have access to the fertilizer,” Long said.

Zach Maurer, president and CEO of Prairie Lithium, talked about the growing demand for lithium. The company is looking for lithium brines in southeastern Saskatchewan and is scaling up its lithium extraction process.

“There is a huge potential for lithium resources in Saskatchewan. Just a massive future demand for lithium and a great opportunity to develop these resources in Saskatchewan," he said.

Maurer said the world will need to produce “triple to quadruple” the amount of lithium produced by 2025.