A shakedown isn’t typically a good thing, but in the case of the rare earths demonstration plant that’s been built in Upton, it’s not just good, it’s great.
Shakedown is what Rare Element Resources calls the beginning stage of operations at a new plant, and it’s what they’ve now started in Upton, now that they have the final federal thumbs up they needed from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“It’s not like you just turn on a switch, and then all of a sudden you run through all the processes,” Rare Element Resources Administrative Officer Kelli Kast told Cowboy State Daily. “There’s very much stages within the actual processing and separation, so it’s a bit of a staged start.”
This phase of operations will include comprehensive testing of each and every factory component, from equipment to plumb lines and everything in between.
That means some “folks are already on site,” Kast said.
The “shakedown” phase is expected to last through the end of the year, though an exact timeframe will depend on the outcome of all the equipment testing. After the shakedown is finished, full operations will begin, likely starting toward the beginning of 2025, and then continuing for a 12-month period.
Pioneering A Monopoly-Busting Process
Upton’s demonstration plant represents an entirely new approach to refining rare earths for commercial use, one that it believes will be more efficient and more affordable than anything presently being done.
Rare earths are increasingly valuable in a wide array of technological gadgets, ranging from cellphones and tablets to electric vehicle car batteries and nuclear missiles.
But, until now, China has had a stranglehold on the rare earth market, choking out competition by flooding the market with an abundant supply, keeping prices so low, it’s hard for anyone else to compete. Recently, the country has even put a lock on the export of rare earth processing knowledge, trying to maintain its dominance in this sector.
That’s what makes what the Upton plant is doing so important, not just in Wyoming, but for the nation and the world. Pioneering a novel, lower-cost method can create a new, domestic supply chain outside of China, busting up their near monopoly.
The demonstration plant is situated by world-class resources in the Bear Lodge deposit located in Upton. Once the 12-month demonstration project is complete, Kast said, the plant will still likely have at least some use.
“This is a large investment, and we believe there are other advancements within the demonstration project that can be undertaken,” she said. “There may be other opportunities with the same technology, for example, enhancing the technology for heavy rare earth separation or for other feed sources. Right now, we’re using Bear Lodge sample material at the plant, but perhaps the plant could take other feed sources and successfully do the separation.”
Future uses of the plant are still on the drawing board. For right now, it’s all about proving their concept is viable commercially.
Once the process is proven, a full-scale processing and operations plant could be located in Upton, given the proximity to a world-class mining site. This would depend on a number of future factors, which have yet to be determined.
Rare Element Resources has already started operations at its rare earths demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming. (Courtesy Rare Element Resources) 
Rare Element Resources has already started operations at its rare earths demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming. (Courtesy Rare Element Resources)
Building A Future Workforce
The start of the Upton demonstration plant this year looked like it was in doubt, after double-digit inflation delayed its planned July opening.
Soaring prices added 21% more in cost to the plant’s original $44 million price tab, making it more like a $53 million project.
The U.S. Department of Energy kicked in about 10% more in funding for the cost-share project, boosting federal support from $21.8 million to about $24.2 million, to keep the project on track.
The company also took several steps to keep the project’s timeline as close to the original as possible, working on everything it could ahead of expected regulatory approvals.
That included hiring Wood PLC of Gillette as the staffing contractor, who has already been training the employees who will be working at the Upton facility.
Hiring for the plant is mostly completed now, Kast said, but some recruitment is continuing.
“To the degree that folks are interested in the current staffing for the objectives of the plant, I think they could reach out to Wood out of Sheridan,” she said. “They would be more than happy to vet candidates.”
A couple of internships have also been added at the plant, Kast said.
“This has garnered a lot of interest from the University of Wyoming and several groups, whether it’s the geology group or the engineering group or the chemical engineering group,” Kast said. “They’re all very keen on understanding some of this so they can train up industry knowledge.”
While the technology is proprietary, Kast said some things can be shared with proper confidentiality agreements in place.
“We’re looking to achieve something bigger than just a demonstration plant,” she said. “We really want to progress the industry, the rare earth industry, within the state. And we’re very happy to be at the center of that conversation and that includes training up folks in Wyoming who understand the nuances of processing and separating rare earths.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
