Rare earths
Critical minerals part of our everyday life and central to the energy transition
What are rare earths used for?
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements already present in our everyday lives including electronics such as smartphones and EVs, often without us realizing it.
They are essential to manufacturing permanent magnets, which are indispensable to electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, industrial robots, and the digital infrastructure supporting the development of artificial intelligence.
Sustainable mobility is the largest market for rare earths, followed by renewable energy, digital and industrial technologies, and specialized applications in fields such as healthcare, aerospace and defence.
As demand for rare earths continues to grow, access to secure and reliable long-term sources has become an increasingly important economic and strategic issue for governments and manufacturers around the world.
Rare earths market
Today, China controls 80% to 90% of the rare earth market and the entire permanent magnet supply chain. This concentration creates geopolitical dependence and an unpredictable, unstable supply chain.
Against this backdrop, projects capable of supplying both heavy and light rare earths have become increasingly important for developing diversified supply chains. The Strange Lake project holds globally significant quantities of dysprosium and terbium alongside neodymium and praseodymium — an exceptional combination worldwide that positions Torngat Metals to become a leading global supplier of heavy rare earths.
This unique resource base is reflected in the products that would be produced at the planned Sept-Îles separation plant.
The rare earths we would produce
Main products: High-purity rare earth oxides
The Sept-Îles separation plant would produce approximately 3,020 tonnes of high-purity rare earth oxides annually.
Product | Expected annual production* | Applications |
Dysprosium oxide (Dy) | 540 tonnes | High-performance permanent magnets: electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators. Dy allows magnets to retain their strength at high temperatures. |
Terbium oxide (Tb) | 80 tonnes | High-performance magnets, lighting and displays. Makes motors and generators more compact and more efficient. |
Neodymium-praseodymium oxide (NdPr) | 2,400 tonnes | The foundation of permanent magnets: electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, electronics, medical equipment. |
Estimated average annual quantities, subject to revision.
Complementary products – Mixed Rare Earth Carbonates
Beyond its three main products, the plant would produce mixed rare earth carbonates — an intermediate product containing several rare earths not yet separated from one another — approx. 5,250 tonnes per year.
- SEG carbonate, 99.5% purity
Contains samarium (Sm), europium (Eu) and gadolinium (Gd). These elements are used in magnets resistant to very high temperatures (Sm), in displays and lighting (Eu), and in contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (Gd). - Enriched yttrium carbonate, 99.5% purity
Yttrium is used primarily in high-temperature ceramic coatings (turbines, aerospace), lasers, lighting and displays, as well as in certain medical applications.
Valorized By-Product – Ammonium Nitrate
The process also generates ammonium nitrate, approximately 55,000 tonnes per year. It would be destined for the agricultural fertilizer market.