Mont Royal Tests Protein-Based Rare Earth Separation Technology

Mont Royal Resources has entered into a joint study agreement with Alta Resource Technologies to evaluate an advanced protein-based process for separating rare earth elements from material produced at its Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Project in Nunavik, Québec, Canada.

The study will investigate whether Alta’s engineered protein technology can process mixed rare earth carbonate from Ashram and convert it into separated, high-purity rare earth oxides. The initiative represents a potential step further downstream for Mont Royal, which currently considers mixed rare earth carbonate production as the lower-risk development pathway for the project.

Alta’s technology relies on engineered proteins that selectively bind to individual metal ions, enabling the separation of complex mixtures of rare earth elements. The company reports that its process has achieved more than 99.5% purity and approximately 90% recovery when producing permanent-magnet rare earth oxides from various feedstocks. However, the joint program will need to establish whether similar performance can be achieved with material originating from the Ashram project.

Another key objective is to evaluate how Alta’s separation technology could be integrated with Mont Royal’s planned hydrometallurgical flowsheet. Successful integration could enable the project to advance from mixed carbonate production toward separated rare earth oxides, potentially increasing the value generated from Ashram’s resource.

The companies will also examine the feasibility of establishing a commercial refining facility in North America. A successful outcome could create opportunities for a longer-term partnership aimed at strengthening regional supplies of rare earth oxides used in permanent magnets, defense systems, electric vehicles, electronics, and other advanced technologies.

Mont Royal Managing Director Nicholas Holthouse said mixed rare earth carbonate remains the company’s preferred initial development strategy because of its comparatively lower risk. However, he noted that downstream processing could provide an opportunity to capture greater value from the project.

Alta CEO Nathan Ratledge said the collaboration combines Mont Royal’s resource and extraction capabilities with Alta’s selective separation technology. The companies aim to support a more resilient North American rare earth supply chain for Western manufacturers.

Mont Royal’s 2026 preliminary economic assessment outlines a potential 30-year mine life at Ashram, with average annual production of 17,466 tonnes of saleable rare earth oxides, including approximately 4,035 tonnes of neodymium-praseodymium oxide. The company cautions that the assessment remains preliminary and does not establish an ore reserve or guarantee project development.

Product and Chemical Commodity Price Impact

The news is bullish for rare earth oxide supply in the long term, particularly for neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide, as successful protein-based separation could enable Ashram to produce higher-value separated oxides in North America. However, the immediate price impact should remain limited because the technology is still under testing and the project is not yet an operating mine. If commercial refining proves viable, additional NdPr, dysprosium and other rare earth oxide supply could eventually ease regional supply constraints and moderate price increases. For ChemAnalyst-tracked chemical commodities, the impact is likely neutral in the short term but potentially bearish for rare-earth oxide prices over the longer term due to incremental supply.