Axel REE CEO highlights low-cost path to rare earth production

Axel REE Ltd (ASX:AXL) managing director Dr Patience Mpofu joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion to discuss the company's Caladão rare earth project in Brazil and explain why its ionic clay deposit, suitable for in-situ recovery, could offer significant economic and environmental advantages over conventional mining. Mpofu outlined how the low-impact extraction process could reduce both capital and operating costs while shortening the path from exploration to production. She also explained why the absence of open-pit mining and tailings dams could make the project particularly attractive as demand for responsibly sourced critical minerals grows. The interview also covered encouraging metallurgical test results, with column leach tests recovering up to 560ppm total rare earth oxides, and the next steps as the company moves into field trials, advances drilling and works towards an indicated resource and a future scoping study. Mpofu also highlighted the project's exposure to high-valu...