After a meeting between US President Donald Trump and mining executives in Washington, the Pentagon said in a statement on Friday that the project would “ensure Western alignment from mine to finished product”.
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Australian mining firm Sunrise Energy Metals said in a separate statement that the proposed mine in Fifield, New South Wales, would aim to become “a cornerstone of Western scandium supply”.
According to the company’s website, the “Syerston Scandium Project” will provide a “critical metal for critical technologies”, including aerospace and 5G/6G telecommunications technology.
Scandium — a rare earth needed for defence, planes and data centres — is usually sourced as a byproduct of other mining. It is valued for being one of the most effective elements to strengthen aluminium while also being flexible and resistant to heat and corrosion.
New South Wales has some of the highest concentrations of scandium globally. China, which dominates the supply and processing of scandium, restricted its exports for defence products last year, triggering the US’s search for new suppliers.
Sunrise struck a deal with Lockheed Martin last year to sell the defence and aerospace manufacturer 25 percent of its scandium output for the first five years of the mine.
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Informação baseada em material público de Al Jazeera, reescrito pela redação ULTRA NOTÍCIAS.
