How Critica’s Second 86% TREO Product Validates Rare Earth Supply Ambitions
Critica Limited has produced a second high-grade rare earth product from its Jupiter Project, achieving 86% total rare earth oxide and confirming the repeatability of its beneficiation process. This milestone reinforces Jupiter's status as Australia's premier rare earth resource amid growing global supply chain concerns.
- Second Mixed Rare Earth Product (MREP) from Jupiter achieves 86% TREO
- Strong, consistent upgrades in magnet rare earths and yttrium
- Yttrium upgraded over 30,000% from resource grade to final product
- Validation of beneficiation flowsheet across multiple metallurgical domains
- Project strategically positioned to reduce China’s rare earth supply dominance
Second High-Grade Product Confirms Process Robustness
Critica Limited (ASX – CRI) has announced the successful production of a second high-grade Mixed Rare Earth Product (MREP) from a distinct metallurgical domain within its Jupiter Project in Western Australia. This new product boasts an impressive 86% total rare earth oxide (TREO) content, surpassing the first MREP's 84% TREO and underscoring the consistency and scalability of Critica’s beneficiation-first flowsheet.
The beneficiation process upgrades key magnet rare earth elements; neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb); and the strategic heavy rare earth yttrium (Y2O3) from their in-situ grades to highly concentrated final products. Notably, yttrium concentrations have been elevated by more than 30,000%, a significant leap given the element's critical role in advanced electronics and its current supply chain dominance by China.
Strategic Importance Amid Global Supply Chain Pressures
The Jupiter Project’s rare earths are central to technologies powering electric vehicles, renewable energy, robotics, and defence systems. With China controlling over 90% of global supply for many of these elements, Critica’s progress offers a compelling alternative source aligned with Western supply chain diversification efforts, including the Australia–U.S. Critical Minerals Framework.
CEO Jacob Deysel emphasized the significance of producing consistent, repeatable high-grade products from different resource domains, highlighting the project's potential to become a reliable Western-aligned rare earths operation. The low uranium and thorium content further enhances Jupiter’s appeal, mitigating environmental and regulatory risks often associated with rare earth mining.
Technical Validation and Next Steps
The second MREP production validates the flowsheet’s robustness across multiple metallurgical scales; from laboratory samples to bulk samples and now two independent MREPs. This repeatability is critical for scaling up operations and de-risking the project’s development pathway.
Critica is commissioning a 3,000 kg closed-circuit pilot plant to further optimize extraction and precipitation of magnet rare earths, yttrium, gallium, and other by-products. Integration of pilot and laboratory data into the upcoming Jupiter Scoping Study is expected in the first half of 2026, alongside advancing offtake and strategic partnership discussions.
Market and Geopolitical Context
The rare earth elements upgraded at Jupiter are critical to emerging technologies and are currently subject to geopolitical tensions due to China’s near-monopoly on supply and processing. Critica’s advancements could play a pivotal role in reshaping global supply chains by providing a scalable, secure source of these materials from a stable, Tier-1 jurisdiction.
As global demand for rare earths intensifies, particularly for electric vehicles and clean energy technologies, Jupiter’s scale and quality position Critica as a key player in the sector’s evolving landscape.
Bottom Line?
Critica’s second high-grade rare earth product cements Jupiter’s potential as a cornerstone of Western supply security amid shifting global dynamics.
Questions in the middle?
- How will pilot plant results influence the timeline for commercial production?
- What are the prospects and timelines for securing offtake agreements with strategic partners?
- How might evolving geopolitical tensions impact Critica’s market positioning and project financing?
