Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[The_Gman]

The Dirtiest Side of EVs: Rare Earths and Conflict Metals
A difficult look into the most troubling side of the growing proliferation of EVs and hybrid vehicles.
Tim Stevens Apr 25, 2024

It would be nice if NioCorp could find a way to get the word out...many articles and no mentions. Frustrating.

It's the magnetic properties of these elements that make them valuable for the creation of permanent-magnet motors. "Principally, praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium, terbium, and samarium are the 'magnetic' rare earths,” de Jonge said. “They are used in rare-earth permanent magnets, which are the most powerful magnets in the world and crucial in modern motor systems.

For certain elements, such as dysprosium, China has a veritable stranglehold. "China is the largest producer of dysprosium, with a near monopoly on the refined product," Ambrose Conroy, an auto supply chain expert and founder of Seraph Consulting, said. The likelihood of developing sources elsewhere is low. "The world could but is not likely to develop an alternate source greater than 10 percent of the dysprosium market anytime soon."

New Sources Coming Online
There is some positive news for alternative sourcing. "There is strong government support in both the U.S. and Australia to develop an ex-China rare earth supply chain," Benchmark's de Jonge said. Governmental support means not only helping with regulations but also providing funding to overcome the substantial initial cost of these operations.

Wyoming has the potential to be one of those sources. American Rare Earths recently completed analysis of a proposed operation at Wyoming’s Halleck Creek site. It's still years away, but if the project goes forward, the company’s analysis suggests it could extract as much as 1.8 million metric tons of magnetic rare earths from the single site per year.

https://www.motortrend.com/features/evs-rare-earths-conflict-metals-issues-problems/