SGS' Metallurgical Centre of Excellence in Lakefield, Canada Celebrates 85th Anniversary as Canada Hits Turning Point in Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Mining

SGS experts say "critical minerals and rare earths are Canada's 21^st century gold rush."

TORONTO, Feb. 26, 2026 /CNW/ - SGS, the world's leading testing, inspection, and certification company is celebrating the 85th anniversary of its Canadian Metallurgical Centre of Excellence in 2026, coinciding with a critical turning point in Canada's mining industry. With the world's largest mining conference - Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) - kicking off in Toronto next week, experts from SGS say that "critical minerals and rare earths are Canada's 21^st century gold rush." With the Canadian government and industry looking to team up to mine critical minerals and build downstream processing over the next decade, SGS is playing a key advisory role as it continues to stay at the forefront of mining industry trends while offering metallurgical consulting, innovation and expertise.

Aerial view of SGS' Metallurgical Centre of Excellence (Lakefield, Canada). (CNW Group/SGS)

SGS's Metallurgical Centre of Excellence is located in Lakefield, near Peterborough (Ontario). It has played an important role not only in the Canadian mining, but the global mining sector, since 1941. Niels Verbaan, Senior Technical Director at SGS in Lakefield, is one of the leading global experts when it comes to processing of critical minerals including rare earths. In June 2024, Verbaan was invited to the White House to help advise on strategies for how best to develop the US battery supply chain industry.

"You turn on the news like CNN and there's talk about a rare earth deal in Ukraine or here or there. There's not a day goes by that people aren't speaking about critical minerals and this will have huge benefits for Canada over the next decade," says Verbaan.

The lab has a long history helping mining companies unlock the value in their precious and base metal ores along with critical minerals projects worldwide, punching well above its weight in Canada and beyond. This was highlighted in 1997 when its testing was instrumental in helping uncover the Bre-X scandal, which led to important changes in the mining world.

Other notable technologies and process approaches that SGS in Lakefield is known for developing or advancing for the mining industry--mostly through flowsheet invention, pilot-plant proof, and "bankable" scale-up work, include:

• SART process for cyanide recovery and to recycle it back into the leaching process
• Hybrid BIOX® + POX flowsheet development and piloting for refractory gold
• "Gold leaching" process development including several new gold leaching processes 
• REE processing pilot plant operations including unit operations such as flotation, acid baking, caustic cracking, rare earth separation and rare earth oxide production
• Development and piloting demonstrating the reduction of high purity scandium oxide from low grade feed sources
• Pilot-scale HPAL capability for nickel laterites (scale-up and de-risking)
• Process mineralogy workflow to diagnose gold recoveries and design circuits
• Comminution/crushing/grinding characterization for enhanced understanding of grinding and crushing properties and processes
• Modern "risk reduction" and geometallurgy to fundamentally de-risk projects
• Deep-sea (polymetallic) nodule testing focused on de-risking and optimizing onshore processing flowsheets that can convert nodule-derived intermediate products into battery-grade chemicals

The SGS team in Lakefield has completed more than 22,000 projects for the global mining industry. Many of the mining industry's leading experts have either built their careers at SGS or have trusted SGS as a technical partner and engaged the team in Lakefield from early-stage metallurgical testing through flowsheet development, scale-up, and into production.

Stephen Mackie, Senior Director, Metallurgy and Consulting at SGS in Lakefield says "SGS is recognized as a cornerstone of the global mining industry, because it uniquely combines deep metallurgical expertise, large-scale piloting capability, and independent consulting under one roof. For decades, our Lakefield team has supported projects every step along the way and has helped transform complex ores into viable, profitable and sustainable operations." He adds, "SGS's Metallurgical Centre of Excellence is more than a laboratory, it's a world-leading trusted technical partner, translating data into defensible, decision-ready insights that underpin feasibility studies, financing, and long-term performance."

"Having a globally recognized facility, located within the beauty of Canadian cottage country - that many people are now getting to know because of everything that is currently happening with critical minerals – it's truly exciting. We look forward to what we can continue to offer as the needs of mining organizations and government continue to advance and expand," says Mackie.

Advancing services for the global mining industry also aligns with SGS's Strategy 27 – "Accelerating Growth, Building Trust". Strategy 27 is rooted in responding to megatrends driving growth in the TIC industry, including innovation, new technologies and the near-shoring of supply chains. Critical minerals and rare earth mining is also tied to the renewable energy transition, which aligns with SGS's IMPACT NOW for Sustainability, by supporting the mining industry with delivering on ESG regulation. 

ABOUT SGS

SGS is the world's leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of over 100,000 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.

Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and reliability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and trusted specialized brands, including Applied Technical Services, Brightsight, Bluesign, Maine Pointe and Nutrasource.

SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH1256740924, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN:SW).

SOURCE SGS

Media inquiries: Fulvio Martinez, SGS, Head of Marketing and Communications, North America, e: [email protected], t: [phone]