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Construction paused on Saskatoon critical minerals processing facility

Click to play video: 'Environmental responsibility ‘top of mind’ for Trudeau as he tours critical minerals facility'
Environmental responsibility ‘top of mind’ for Trudeau as he tours critical minerals facility
WATCH: Environmental responsibility ‘top of mind’ for Trudeau as he tours critical minerals facility – Jan 16, 2023

Canada’s only rare earths mining company is pausing all construction at its Saskatoon processing facility.

Vital Metals says the pause will allow the company to conserve cash and seek other sources of funding to potentially build a sustainable business model for the facility.

The company planned to complete a calcine circuit that would produce a rare earths oxide product for potential sale to a third party.

It says it has been unable to secure such sales on commercially satisfactory terms.

Click to play video: 'Positioning Saskatchewan as a critical minerals hub'
Positioning Saskatchewan as a critical minerals hub

The company, which mines a deposit in the Northwest Territories, says it intends to retain Saskatoon employees as it conducts a strategic review of the project.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured the facility in January to promote critical minerals as being key for clean energy technologies.

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