en.Wedoany.com Reported - Mont Royal Resources' Ashram Rare Earth Project located in Quebec, Canada, is about to release its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The company has significantly reduced capital costs by redesigning the project and has incorporated fluorite as a significant secondary revenue stream. Key adjustments include switching from a northern ice-bound port to a year-round accessible southern road route, and relocating the hydrometallurgical processing facility from the mine site to the Port of Saguenay to lower construction and operating costs.

The Ashram Rare Earth Project deposit contains a 51.5-meter section grading 10.5% fluorite, with measured and indicated resources averaging approximately 6% fluorite. The company plans to produce metallurgical-grade fluorite, whose current market price is similar to acid-grade fluorite, both ranging from $400 to $500 per tonne. Quebec, as a net importer of metallurgical-grade fluorite, provides a ready domestic market. Ruse explained: "This is truly not just a set of free steak knives accompanying the rare earths. It is a real and significant independent revenue stream."

Mont Royal adopts a pricing system based on European CIF prices to circumvent direct price competition from China. The price of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) is approximately $114/kg, while europium can reach $1,000/kg in Western markets, a 45-fold price difference compared to the Chinese market. The PEA will evaluate approximately 25% of the resource, defining a 30-year mine life. The project's processing strategy covers three of the seven steps for magnet material production, and it plans to seek a partner for the fourth step, separation technology.

The Ashram Rare Earth Project benefits from North American policy support, including the U.S. NdPr price floor mechanism and Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy. Holthouse pointed out: "Setting up a hydrometallurgical plant on-site presents real technical challenges." The port location helps reduce risk and costs. The PEA is expected to be released within weeks, with a pre-feasibility study to commence before year-end. The project's metallurgical process has been validated, and its strategic location makes it competitive within the North American rare earth supply chain.

This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com