Ionic enters land access agreement for Uganda REE project
Ionic Rare Earths has announced it has entered a land access agreement for the mining license application (MLA) related to the stage one development of the Makuutu rare earths project in Uganda.
The firm secured 92% of the deal. The Ugandan Government approved RRM’s proposed process to secure land access agreements in September 2023 and is reportedly fully supportive of the project, considering it as the country’s flagship mine.
Makuutu project
The Makuutu project is located 40km from Jinja and 120km from the capital city of Kampala. It covers 298km² and comprises six licenses. The geology of the project is similar to the southern China ionic clay-type deposits, known for being a source of heavy rare earth oxides (HREO).
The project’s current mineral resource estimate is 532 million tonnes at 640ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO), with a cut-off grade of 200ppm total rare earth oxides minus cerium (TREO-CeO₂). Ionic Rare Earths’ Ugandan subsidiary, Rwenzori Rare Metals (RRM), holds a 100% stake in the Makuutu project. In October 2023, Ionic Rare Earths obtained a large-scale mining license from the Ugandan Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM) for the Makuutu project.
Ionic Rare Earths has reported steady progress in the development of the technical facility and demonstration plant at the project. The facility is expected to be finalized in November, with the heap desorption column test targeted to begin by the end of the year.
