Please see below some pictures and quotes from the various speakers from the press conference that took place on March 3rd, 2016 at the NRC Boucherville facility. The event was originally conducted in French. The translation below is provided by GéoMégA.
Minister of Mines, Mr. Luc Blanchette:
“If there is one area of the mining sector that still remains unknown to the general public, it is that of rare earth elements, a group of 17 elements that despite their name, are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust, but rarely in concentrations that allow them to be exploited in a profitable way.
Rare earths are a strategic resource in high demand due to their many uses.
We are surrounded by technologies that use rare earths without us even realizing it. We find them in electronic devices such cell phones as well as in new green technologies…”
“While the use of these technologies does not cease to grow, the demand for rare earth elements should continue building over the next years to come.”
“It consists of a forward looking sector that the Quebec Government would like to showcase much like its other mining resources.”
“GéoMégA, well aware of the issues associated with separation, has created a subsidiary, Innord, whose mandate is to develop a new approach for the separation of rare earth elements.”
“It is clear that the development of such a process by a Quebec-based team would be a significant asset in the development of our mining sector.
To encourage the future development of rare earth mines in Quebec and to eventually implement the associated high-tech sector, depends on our ability to separate the elements using an economical and environmentally respectful process.
The project that we support has the potential to create a real revolution in this industry.”
“Quebec already has the most diversified mineral production in Canada and we are looking for ways to further diversify. It is by being diversified that we can be more resilient to fluctuations in the mining cycles. The development of a rare earths sector, to which the GéoMégA project contributes encourages that diversification.
This project meets these objectives and could eventually create an important technological innovation that would encourage the development of our rare earths and the development of an industry in Quebec.
Today’s announcement is one of our first steps into a promising sector that will bring benefits to our mining sector and our economy. ”
Member of Quebec National Assembly for Laporte, Ms. Nicole Ménard:
“The financial support offered by the various government programs represents an important tool for supporting business initiatives in innovation for sectors such as the transformation of natural resources in Quebec.
The development of a new technique for separating rare earth elements by specialists such as yourselves, would represent major progress in the development of a Quebec industry in this area.”
Chairman of the Board of the Société de développement de la Baie-James (SDBJ), Mr. Gaston Bédard:
“We are proud to be a part of the group of financial partners who join INNORD in the development of this innovative process and that allows for the separation of rare earth elements more effectively and more ecologically.
With time, this technological development can allow for the promotion of an important rare earths deposit located in the James-Bay territory.”
Mayor of Lebel-sur-Quevillon and President of the Administration régionale Baie-James (ARBJ), Mr. Alain Poirier:
“The ARBJ is proud to financially support this innovative project that aligns with our approach in protecting the territory using a technological process that promises to be much more environmentally friendly than the current methods known around the world.
Moreover, this project fits within our regional development initiative which, no doubt, will be carried out in the mid-term in the Lebel-sur-Quévillon area.”
President & CEO of GéoMégA, Mr. Kiril Mugerman and Dr. Pouya Hajiani, CTO of GéoMégA:
“We believe that our technology will be the missing piece to launching a rare earths industry in Quebec and Canada.
Today, with the support of the SPN, SDBJ and the ARBJ we moved a step closer towards achieving this goal. The funding received will be used to develop a prototype in order to demonstrate scalability and industrial applicability.”
From left to right, M. Bédard , M. Poirier , Mme Ménard , M. Blanchette , M. Mugerman , le Dr Hajiani .
