November 7, 2013
The Assistant Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada, Marian Campbell Jarvis, announced the formation of the Canadian Rare Earth Elements Network (CREEN) during her keynote remarks to launch the REE Symposium at the 52nd Annual Conference of Metallurgists (COM 2013), held in Montreal, October 27-31, 2013 and chaired by Avalon Rare Metals Inc.’s (“Avalon”) Energy and Market Advisor, Ian London.
CREEN is an industry-led, multi-stakeholder network focused on supporting research and development leading to collaborative solutions that will advance Canada’s REE sector to produce and secure 20 percent of the global demand for separated critical rare earth products by 2018. This industry-driven network is supported by universities, engineering firms, national and commercial laboratories. Its three complementary goals are to:
Accelerate the development and delivery of timely R&D solutions to industry’s technical and economic issues in support of Canada’s emerging rare earth sector.
Facilitate partnerships with other national and international organizations, to leverage existing research initiatives and identify funding opportunities.
Support training and education to provide the qualified human resources needed to achieve the sector’s goals.
Alex King, the Executive Director of the US Critical Materials Institute remarked toward the close of the Symposium, “Canada clearly has the natural resources, mining and materials processing experience and passion to make a significant contribution to the global rare metals supply chain.”
Avalon’s Ian London has been invited to chair the CREEN Board. Ian was interviewed about CREEN’s purpose and objectives on the Commodities Show on BNN on November 6, 2013. To watch the interview click on the following link: http://watch.bnn.ca/#clip1038463
ABOUT AVALON RARE METALS INC.
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (TSX and NYSE MKT: AVL) is a mineral development company focused on rare metal deposits in Canada. Its 100%-owned Nechalacho Deposit, Thor Lake, NWT is exceptional in its large size and enrichment in the scarce ‘heavy’ rare earth elements, key to enabling advances in clean technology and other growing high-tech applications. With a positive feasibility study and environmental assessment completed, the Nechalacho Project remains the most advanced potential large new source of heavy rare earths in the world outside of China, currently the source of most of the world’s supply. Avalon is adequately funded, has no debt and its work programs are progressing. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.