Jupiter’s Rare Earth Carbonate Hits 58% TREO, Boosting Recovery to 80%

A Milestone for Jupiter’s Rare Earth Development

Critica Limited (ASX – CRI) has announced a significant technical breakthrough at its Jupiter Rare Earth Project in Western Australia, successfully producing its first commercial-quality Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC). This product, generated through conventional sulphuric acid bake hydrometallurgical processing at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), grades approximately 58% total rare earth oxides (TREO). This achievement moves Jupiter beyond laboratory validation towards a scalable, industry-aligned product pathway.

The MREC production confirms that Jupiter’s intermediate concentrate can be upgraded into a high-value, refinery-suitable product. With an initial recovery rate of about 80% TREO and a defined pathway to increase this to nearly 89% in commercial operations, the results materially de-risk the processing flowsheet. This milestone underpins the ongoing Scoping Study, which aims to integrate beneficiation and downstream processing into a cohesive development plan, expected for delivery by the end of the first half of 2026.

Technical Validation and Product Quality

The sulphuric acid bake process employed by ANSTO involved a series of conventional hydrometallurgical steps, including acid baking, water leaching, two-stage impurity removal, and carbonate precipitation. The process effectively controlled deleterious impurities such as aluminium, iron, phosphorus, uranium, and thorium, maintaining them at levels consistent with commercial MREC specifications.

Critica’s CEO Jacob Deysel highlighted the significance of producing both MREC and previously reported Mixed Rare Earth Oxide (MREO) products, emphasizing the robustness and repeatability of the flowsheet. The MREC product is magnet rare earth element dominant, enriched in neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium; critical elements for high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and defence applications.

Strategic Implications and Next Steps

The integrated beneficiation-first approach at Jupiter upgrades the feed grade before hydrometallurgical treatment, reducing downstream processing volumes and reagent consumption. This strategy supports a capital-efficient, scalable flowsheet aligned with conventional industry practice. Critica is advancing pilot plant operations at GAVAQ in Vietnam, with a 3,000 kg bulk sample processing close to completion and plans to dispatch an additional 20,000 kg sample for further testing.

Parallel downstream testwork continues with partners including ANSTO, Minutech–AMML, and Phenikaa University, focusing on refining product specifications and generating representative samples for qualification and potential offtake discussions. Early engagement with downstream processors and refining groups is underway to align product quality with market requirements.

The Scoping Study, led by Sedgman with support from Snowden Optiro and SRK Consulting, will incorporate these validated metallurgical results alongside mining and infrastructure assumptions. Its completion will provide a clearer development pathway for Jupiter, positioning Critica to meet growing global demand for rare earth elements driven by AI, electric vehicles, and renewable energy sectors.