Critica (ASX:CRI) has successfully produced commercial-quality mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from the Jupiter Rare Earth Project in Western Australia together with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).
The MREC, grading 58% total rare earth oxides (TREO), at approximately 80% cumulative recovery, was produced using Critica’s beneficiation-derived immediate concentrate together with a conventional acid bake hydrometallurgical flowsheet.
Overall recovery through to MREC is expected to increase to approximately 89% TREO in practice.
Critica notes that this milestone marks the Jupiter Project’s transition from laboratory-scale validation to a proven, scalable product and provides a key technical input for the company’s ongoing scoping study.
CEO Jacob Deysel says that the results mark a significant advancement for the company.
“This is where metallurgical testwork moves beyond laboratory validation and advances towards delivering a demonstrated commercial product pathway,” Deysel says.
“The MREC produced by ANSTO, together with the successful production of MREO, confirm the repeatability and robustness of the flowsheet. This provides confidence that Jupiter’s metallurgy is scalable and development-ready.
“Jupiter’s geology and mineralogy provide real downstream optionality – enabling alternative product routes using conventional processing methods, while maintaining effective impurity control and strong recoveries of magnet rare earth elements.”
Critica expects to deliver the Scoping Study by the end of H1 2026. The company is transitioning from validation testwork to integrated development execution.
Critica is advancing the Jupiter Project in Western Australia, Australia’s largest clay-hosted rare earth resource, with a focus on a mine-to-magnet plan to meet growing demand.
The company will be at this year’s Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), held from 1-4 March 2026 in Toronto. Mining.com.au is a media partner of this year’s convention.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Critica Limited
