Energy Fuels’ first terbium output: capacity, flowsheet and supply notes for miners
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
Energy Fuels has produced its first 1 kg of 99.9% pure terbium oxide from monazite ore at the White Mesa mill in Utah, following December’s 29 kg output of 99.9% dysprosium oxide, and is targeting commercial-scale recoveries from 2027. A new heavy rare earth circuit at White Mesa could start as early as 2025, designed for up to 35 tpa dysprosium, 12 tpa terbium and 850–1,000 tpa NdPr, with a Stage Two expansion by 2029 aiming for >6,000 tpa NdPr, 80 tpa terbium and 288 tpa dysprosium. In parallel, Ucore Rare Metals has signed a non-binding deal to supply NdPr and dysprosium oxides to Vulcan Elements’ planned 10,000 tpa NdFeB magnet plant in North Carolina, underpinning a prospective fully domestic US rare earth magnet chain.
Technical Brief
- Pilot-scale terbium oxide from White Mesa achieved 99.9% purity, matching permanent magnet manufacturer specifications.
- White Mesa, ~500 km southeast of Salt Lake City, is the only operating conventional uranium mill in the US.
- The mill is currently the only US facility capable of processing both light and heavy rare earths.
- Expanded heavy rare earth circuit at White Mesa targets commercial recovery of Dy, Tb, Sm, Eu and Gd.
- Magnet manufacturers globally have requested Energy Fuels’ Dy and Tb oxides for production validation testwork.
- Energy Fuels’ planned Stage Two expansion is contingent on Utah state permits expected by mid‑2027.
Our Take
The planned dysprosium and terbium recovery capacities at White Mesa align with the >7,500 tpa separated REE output outlined in Energy Fuels’ recent White Mesa feasibility work, signalling that this first 99.9% terbium oxide is an early de‑risking step for a much larger heavy and light rare earths separation hub in Utah.
Within our mining database, rare earths pieces featuring both uranium and heavy rare earth oxides are relatively uncommon, so Energy Fuels’ combined uranium–REE strategy at White Mesa positions it as one of the few North American operators trying to monetise both fuel-cycle and magnet metals from the same processing infrastructure.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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