Tripartite deal sealed for rare earths projects in Morocco
A tripartite agreement has been inked between British giant Rainbow Rare Earths with Moroccan state-owned phosphate and fertiliser company OCP Group and the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), a private, non-profit research centre, for the development of an optimal pathway for extracting and processing rare earths.
According to the agreement,the parties also intend to “continue research” to improve techniques for obtaining this material “from phosphogypsum”. OCP Group has accumulated significant intellectual property assets, know-how and experience in the field of phosphogypsum processing through its collaboration with the research centre, which “offers a synergistic opportunity for joint development.
Scarcity of REE deposits
Rainbow Rare Earths chief executive George Bennett highlighted the “enormous potential” of phosphogypsum as a source of rare earths and said the company “is focused on securing opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing, as well as gaining access to new supplies”. “We are delighted to sign this agreement with such innovative partners,” Bennett said.
The scarcity of high-quality rare earth element (REE) deposits has pushed energy companies to seek alternative sources of supply, mostly from the extraction of industrial waste such as phosphogypsum. Despite successive crises, the demand for these materials has been growing exponentially for the past two decades due to their multiple applications.
