Critica Limited has announced a significant advancement in the extraction of rare earth elements, unveiling its second high-grade mixed rare earths product (MREP) from the Jupiter project in Western Australia’s Mid West region. This latest batch achieved an impressive 86 per cent total rare earths oxides (TREO) with a recovery rate of 68 per cent, derived from a different section of the clay-hosted rare earth resource compared to earlier samples.
The new results mirror the strong performance of previous metallurgical tests, which demonstrated that the beneficiated Jupiter concentrate can be processed using straightforward, scalable hydrometallurgical methods. This consistency in results suggests that the deposit has the potential to produce high-grade outputs from various domains within the project area.
Jacob Deysel, Chief Executive Officer of Critica Limited, remarked, “Producing a second high-grade MREO at 86% TREO from a different domain within Jupiter is a major validation step for Critica.” The latest MREP results align closely with the standout findings from October 2023, which recorded 83.6 per cent TREO at the same recovery rate.
The Jupiter deposit, part of the larger Brothers project located 50 kilometers west of Mt Magnet, is touted as Australia’s largest and highest-grade clay-hosted magnet-based rare earths resource. It boasts a significant 640 million tonnes with a grade of 490 parts per million (ppm) of valuable magnet rare earth oxides. Noteworthy magnet rare earths, including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, have seen their grades soar, with some increasing by more than 60,000 per cent from their in-situ levels. Similarly, yttrium has surged from just 74 ppm to over 24,000 ppm.
The project’s strategic significance is heightened by its low uranium and thorium content, alongside its location in a Tier-1 jurisdiction near critical rare earth processing hubs, such as Lynas Corporation’s operations. The high-value oxides produced at Jupiter are essential for the manufacturing of electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, energy storage devices, and defense technologies.
Deysel added, “We are witnessing exactly what a scalable project should demonstrate—consistent, repeatable upgrades of high-value magnet rare earths and yttrium through beneficiation into a final product.” With over 90 per cent of the global downstream rare earth supply chain currently dominated by China, the results from Jupiter solidify its position as a vital Western-aligned rare earths development.
Critica’s metallurgical advancements are supported by a robust technical framework. The company is in the process of commissioning a 3,000-kilogram beneficiation pilot plant in Hanoi, in collaboration with Vietnam’s Centre of Science and Technology of Minerals and Environment. This facility aims to finalize product specifications for magnet rare earths, yttrium, gallium, and other by-products, feeding into a scoping study anticipated for the first half of 2026.
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is also engaged in refining the hydrometallurgical processes, contributing decades of expertise in rare earth chemistry and uranium-thorium management. Perth-based Minutech-AMML, one of the country’s most experienced hydrometallurgical laboratories, is conducting acid leaching, impurity removal, and precipitation tests on the upgraded concentrates.
With two high-grade mixed rare earths products successfully verified from distinct segments of the orebody, alongside a pilot plant nearing operational status and multiple expert laboratories collaborating on the project, Critica is positioned to deliver a technically sound rare earths solution at a time when global demand is surging. The company has recently secured $8 million from a capital raise, raising its total available funds to nearly $12 million once research and development rebates are accounted for, enabling continued momentum as the Jupiter project progresses toward its next milestones.
