Saskatchewan Research Council and REalloys Sign Historic Rare Earth Partnership Agreements, Advancing North American Independence in Rare Earths and Positioning the Province as a Global Critical Minerals Hub

SASKATOON, SK, Dec. 8, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) today announced the signing of a suite of historic contracts with REalloys Inc. (REA), reinforcing Saskatchewan's leadership in establishing the first fully-integrated rare earth supply chain in North America.

SRC’s Rare Earth Processing Facility includes monazite processing, separation of rare earths and metal smelting and will be North America’s first fully integrated, commercial-scale rare earth processing and metals facility when operational in early 2027. (Copyright SRC) (CNW Group/Saskatchewan Research Council)

SRC’s Rare Earth Processing Facility includes more than 400 solvent extraction cells developed through a proprietary process. (Copyright SRC) (CNW Group/Saskatchewan Research Council)

This partnership between SRC and REA is anchored by a five-year offtake agreement under which REA will purchase the vast majority of annual production of Neodymium -Praseodymium (NdPr) metal and Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb) oxides from SRC's Rare Earths Processing Facility in Saskatoon. The agreement will deliver strong commercial returns to SRC and the people of Saskatchewan while enabling REA to meet regulatory compliance in its delivery of rare earth metals to its U.S. defence industrial base clients.

In addition to the offtake agreement, REA has partnered with SRC to conduct a feasibility study for a large-scale rare earth processing, separation and metallization complex in Saskatoon. The large-scale facility would be one of the largest and most advanced in the world and would further solidify Saskatchewan as a global hub for rare earth technology development, material production and midstream processing capabilities, with the potential to bring hundreds of high-quality jobs to Saskatoon.

"This historic agreement confirms that companies around the world recognize the value of doing business in Saskatchewan and reinforces our province's growing position as a world-leading rare earth hub," Minister Responsible for SRC Warren Kaeding said. "The Government of Saskatchewan remains committed to advancing critical minerals development, attracting private-sector investment, and strengthening North American supply chain independence in this globally strategic sector."

SRC's Rare Earth Processing Facility will be North America's first fully integrated, commercial-scale rare earth processing and metals facility when fully operational in early 2027. It is designed with monazite processing, state-of-the-art AI-controlled rare earth element (REE) separation, and metal smelting capabilities--anchoring a complete supply chain previously available only in China.

Once in full operation, SRC's facility will produce 400 tonnes of high-purity NdPr metal per year -- increasing to 600 tonnes per year -- along with significant quantities of Dy and Tb oxides and metals. REA will purchase the majority of this output, providing a stable, long-term anchor customer for the facility. The remaining production output will be available to other domestic and international customers, supporting broader market development and diversification opportunities.

"One of the core goals of SRC's processing facility has always been to help build a rare earth supply chain in North America," SRC President and CEO Mike Crabtree said. "By developing our own solvent extraction and metal smelting technology--and now securing a major offtake partner--Saskatchewan is demonstrating real leadership in building a resilient and strategically vital supply chain."

"These agreements position REalloys as the only fully integrated rare earth platform in the Western Hemisphere capable of advancing light and heavy rare earth metals at commercial scale on an accelerated timeline," REalloys CEO and Founder Lipi Sternheim said. "By aligning Canadian innovation with U.S. defence needs, we are strengthening the security of the Western world and building the first scalable alternative to China's rare earth dominance."

About SRC

SRC is Canada's second largest research and technology organization. As a catalyst for innovation, SRC focuses on providing leading-edge services and solutions to the agriculture, energy, environment and mining industries with major projects in nuclear and rare earth elements. With a workforce of more than 400 employees and nearly 80 years of applied research and development experience, SRC supports 1,400 clients in more than 15 countries. For more information, visit www.src.sk.ca.

About REalloys Inc.

REalloys Inc. is advancing a fully integrated North American mine-to-magnet supply chain encompassing upstream resource development, midstream processing, and downstream manufacturing. The company's upstream foundation includes its Hoidas Lake rare-earth asset in Saskatchewan and a diversified network of allied feedstock and recycling partners. Together with SRC, REalloys is building a platform to scale North American midstream separation, refining, and metallization capabilities--creating a coordinated system that processes and converts rare-earth materials from allied and domestic sources into high-purity products. Those refined materials feed directly into REalloys' downstream manufacturing operations, where the company produces advanced alloys and magnet components for defense, clean energy, and high-performance industrial applications.

SOURCE Saskatchewan Research Council

For more information, contact: Allison Collins, External Relations, Saskatchewan Research Council, Tel: [phone], Email for handout photos and video: [email protected]; Angela Gorman, Media Relations, REalloys, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]