A leading contractor is overseeing construction of a rare earth processing hub in Yorkshire.
by Rory Butler / November 29, 2022
John Wood Group PLC (Wood.) is heading up the construction schedule of the Saltend mine at the Humber Freeport, supported by London-based rare earth metal mining company, Pensana PLC.
Pensana hopes to build supply chains for precious metals whose end use could be wind turbines or electric vehicles, with Saltend on track to be one of the few significant rare metals producing facilities outside China.
Pensana broke ground at Saltend in July, creating possibly the ‘world’s first independent and sustainable rare earth processing facility powered by offshore wind’.
British multinational engineering firm Wood is now on site overseeing the relocation of existing water supplies, ahead of main contractual works commencing early in the new year, which include a 12-month construction period.
Contracts for earthworks have been assessed for imminent award, it said.
Company aims:
- 12,500 tonnes of separated rare earths
- 4,500 tonnes of magnet metal rare earths
- 450 jobs during construction
- 125 long-term, high-value jobs
The critically important magnet metal rare earths it extracts will represent more than 5% of world supply.
The (US$195 million) plant is targeting production in the latter part of 2023, before going to full capacity in 2024.
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