Ionic Rare Earths Limited (ASX: IXR) has announced the successful completion of construction and commissioning of Phase 1 at its technical facility and demonstration plant at the Makuutu Rare Earths Project, Uganda.
Makuutu is being developed by IonicRE’s local Ugandan operating entity Rwenzori Rare Metals Limited (RRM).
The completion of the Makuutu demonstration plant technical facility is a significant milestone for the company, made possible by the collective efforts of its dedicated team and strong support from the local community.
Managing director, Tim Harrison, commented, “This represents another step towards development at Makuutu. This work is essential to validating our mine development plan and generating MREC samples for off-take discussions with potential partners over the next few months. The progress at Makuutu also reaffirms our position as a strategic resource for near-term development and a secure, long-term supply of magnet and heavy rare earths for new supply chains to emerge.”
The demonstration plant’s construction and commissioning proceeded seamlessly, with no health, safety, and environment (HSE) incidents reported throughout the entire process.
In addition, the company is proud to highlight its collaboration with the local community, which played a crucial role in the project’s success. Many individuals from the local community were employed as casual labourers, fostering economic growth, and strengthening community ties in the process.
In addition, with the primary construction works completed, the demonstration plant is in the process of ramping up its operations to a 24-hour schedule to further reduce development time to scale up mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) production which is expected within the next two weeks.
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