Vital Metals (ASX: VML) is an explorer and developer with highly prospective mineral projects, focusing on the world-class rare earth Nechalacho project in Canada. It plans to commence production at Nechalacho in 2021, and aims to produce a minimum 5,000 tonnes of contained REO by 2025.

Mining at Nechalacho’s North T Zone is underway as part of its Stage 1 production strategy, and concentrate production will begin via ore sorting, before it is sent to a Saskatoon cracking and leaching facility later in 2021.

Vital has commenced drilling to define a mine plan for Stage 2 at Nechalacho as it works to develop a larger scale, longer life rare earths project.

Vital aims to become the lowest cost producer of mixed rare earth oxide outside of China by developing one of the highest grade rare earth deposits in the world and the only rare earth project capable of beneficiation solely by ore sorting.

Vital’s other projects include the high-grade Wigu Hill rare earth resource in Tanzania.