Geomega Resources, located in Montreal, has won funds to construct a C$4 million alumina waste processing plant in Quebec. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a federal agency that funds small and medium-sized enterprises will provide C$1.5 million. Rio Tinto, a Geomega partner, will contribute C$1.2 million in funding. Quebec produces half of Rio Tinto's global aluminium production. In the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area, Rio Tinto runs an alumina refinery, four smelters, six hydropower plants, its Arvida Research and Development Centre, and the Aluminium Operational Centre, a rail network, and one port.

Geomega creates cutting-edge methods for extracting and separating rare earth elements and other key metals that are necessary for a long-term future. It is the developer of clean technologies for the mining, refining, and recycling of rare earth and other critical materials

The Quebec Ministry of Economy and Innovation has contributed C$300,000 through Investment Quebec as mandatary of the Government of Québec through the Program Innovation providing $300,000, and Geomega contributing $550,000. A third-party organisation will support the remaining C$450,000 in the project's later stages, according to Geomega. 

“Bauxite residue, the waste generated from aluminum production, requires significant management and monitoring from mining companies to avoid environmental impacts. Innord Inc. is developing a process that reduces the volume of red mud by 70-90% while recovering valuable minerals from that waste. SDTC is pleased to provide funding to help Innord Inc. scale-up their solution to make the industry more sustainable.” added Leah Lawrence, CEO of Sustainable Development Technology Canada.

The money will go towards completing a feasibility study and building a pilot facility in Boucherville, Quebec. Dr Pouya Hajjani, Geomega's Chief Technology Officer, will lead the collaborative research activity between Innord and Rio Tinto. Over the last year, the Innord research team has collaborated with Rio Tinto technical specialists to complete a bench-scale study project, and the two companies will now collaborate on scaling up the initiative, according to Hajjani.

 “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Geomega to support their development of this technology aimed at finding new uses for bauxite residue, the waste from the alumina refining process. This has the potential to not only reduce the environmental footprint of aluminium production, but to also deliver new sources of materials such as critical minerals needed to support a low carbon future,” stated Rio Tinto's Director of By-Product Valorization Stephane Poirier.

According to Dr Pouya Hajiani the two-year research "will eventually provide the basis for a techno-economic feasibility analysis of the procedure." Hajiani also added that the study will evaluate Innord's technology's environmental performance as well as its marketability. Geomega's hydrometallurgical technique for recovering rare earth is the foundation of the technology. Geomega got money from the Quebec government in February to test its technology at its Montviel rare earths plant.

Innord will retain ownership of the intellectual property created as a result of the Project's research activities. Both Geomega and Innord will benefit from the announced financing from all parties. Successful negotiation of a Project Financing Agreement (PFA) with SDTC is required to receive SDTC funding. The PFA is likely to be signed in the near future.

“We wish to thank SDTC for their contribution to this exciting, innovative and challenging Project. As a leading Canadian organisation in supporting the development of innovative clean technologies, we appreciate their contribution and look forward to working with the SDTC team as a valued partner in delivering a sustainable and complete solution to the bauxite residues challenge that is so important to both the Canadian and the global aluminum industry,” said the President and Ceo of Geomega and Innord Kiril Mugerman.

“Over the course of the last 12 months, Innord’s research team has worked closely with technical experts from our partner Rio Tinto to deliver a bench scale study project and is now prepared for the next stage of scale up. The Project, estimated to be completed over the next 24 months, will include the construction of a pilot plant, to be installed and commissioned at Innord’s facilities in Boucherville, which will ultimately form the basis for a techno-economic feasibility study of the process. The feasibility study will be used to assess the environmental performance of the technology and address the marketability of the final products. If this feasibility study is successful, it is intended that the consortium will continue to work together to bring the BR valorization process to commercialization.” added Dr. Pouya Hajiani, Chief Technology Officer of Geomega and Innord.