Demonstration plant gets operations OK from feds
Rare Element Resources has received its U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission operations approval under the license previously issued to the company, according to an Oct. 31 news release.
The release said the company needed this final approval to begin operations at its rare earth element processing and separation demonstration plant in Upton, which is supposed to generate the operations and economic data needed for designing a commercial-scale plant.
Business Development Director Paul Bonifas told the News Letter Journal that the demonstration plant’s “shakedown” phase has now begun.
“Shakedown is a crucial testing stage for any new plant, and this one is no exception,” Bonifas explained. “It involves rigorously testing every component, from equipment and plumbing to electrical systems, ensuring everything functions flawlessly before RER separation begins. This meticulous process is expected to last through the end of 2024, though the exact timeline depends on the outcome of these tests.”
After shakedown, the plant will begin full operations, “likely in early 2025,” for its 12-month operational period, according to Bonifas.
The company announced in a Sept. 26 news release that the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy had issued its second and final project continuation notice after approving the company’s operations budget.
“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,” RER Chief Operating Officer Jaye Pickarts said in the release.
After receiving its operations approval from the DOE, the company prepared its sample feed material from the Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project and finalized the plant’s equipment installation and interconnections, the release said. The company is currently testing the plant’s processes and installing its proprietary control system. Wood PLC, which is based in Sheridan, has “mobilized” workers, and those people are undergoing training.
“With these key approval milestones behind us, we can begin to realize our goal of unlocking the key information for progressing a commercial-scale plant,”
Pickarts said.