Eclipse Metals is advancing metallurgical studies at its Grønnedal rare-earth project in Greenland, shifting development work towards beneficiation after defining a large mineral resource. Mineralogical analysis by ALS Metallurgy found that 87.5% to 94.3% of contained neodymium and praseodymium across four composite samples occurs within identifiable rare-earth mineral groups. A further 77.2% to 92.6% of the NdPr content is contained in the two principal mineral groups selected for additional flotation testing.
Grønnedal Resource Contains 1.5 Million Tonnes TREO
Grønnedal has a resource of approximately 208 million tonnes grading 0.72% total rare-earth oxides (TREO). The resource contains around 1.5 million tonnes of TREO, including an estimated 456,000 tonnes of neodymium and praseodymium oxides.
With the resource scale established, Eclipse is now examining whether the valuable rare-earth minerals can be efficiently separated from the project’s carbonate-rich host material. The company has identified selective rejection of carbonate gangue as a key processing challenge.
Flotation and Leaching Tests Underway
Eclipse is progressing into rougher and cleaner flotation, regrinding, reagent optimisation and leaching trials, supported by engineering consultant Tetra Tech. The beneficiation work will assess how effectively rare-earth minerals can be concentrated before more costly downstream treatment. At the project’s 0.72% TREO head grade, significant volumes of material would need to be processed to produce a concentrated rare-earth feed, making beneficiation performance relevant to potential plant size, energy requirements and operating costs.
NdPr Recovery Central to Processing Evaluation
Neodymium and praseodymium are the principal value drivers identified for the project. They are used in high-performance permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines, industrial motors and defence equipment. The next metallurgical programme will provide data on flotation recovery, concentrate grade and mass pull, which determine how much material would need to proceed to subsequent chemical processing.
The development assessment will therefore depend on the ability to achieve recovery while selectively rejecting waste material from the carbonate-rich host. Greenland’s undeveloped mineral systems have attracted increased interest as Western governments seek alternative sources of critical raw materials, while remote Arctic projects require processing economics capable of supporting infrastructure and logistics requirements. Eclipse’s current work is focused on determining whether the mineralisation at Grønnedal can be converted into a sufficiently concentrated and recoverable rare-earth product.
