Ucore Verifies Louisiana RapidSX(TM) Equipment Scale-Up Configurations

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (UCU) released details on August 5 regarding the completion of the RSX-1 scale-up verification program for RapidSX™ equipment. The company has selected the final hardware configurations for “Enhanced Machine A,” the first commercial-scale rare-earth separation machine with a capacity of 600 tpa TREO, which is destined for its Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex.

The 12-month program tested contactor diameters ranging from 1¼″ to 24″ and conducted over 400 trials. These tests confirmed that RapidSX™ performance equals or exceeds conventional solvent extraction under conservative chemistry. Factory Acceptance Testing of the optimized contactor assemblies, consisting of two 8″ diameter RapidSX™ units, is planned for August/September 2026. The work was partially supported by a $20.4 million US Department of War OTA modification.

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (UCU) released an expected operational milestone on August 5, confirming that scale-up testing was successful and that specific equipment configurations for its Enhanced Machine A design are now locked in. This update follows prior news from May 28, 2026, which had already outlined the design details, including approximately 118 stages, a $60 million capital expenditure budget, and a planned commissioning in the first half of 2027.

The announcement confirms the next technical step without altering the project's budget, timeline, or production capacity. Market reaction to the news is likely to be muted, as the stock had been in a steady decline from above $5 in June to approximately $3.45 prior to the announcement. This type of incremental progress is unlikely to reverse that downward trend.

Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (UCU) is a development-stage rare-earth element processor focused on establishing a North American supply chain independent of China. The company’s flagship project is the Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex in Alexandria, Louisiana. The facility will utilize Ucore’s proprietary RapidSX™ solvent-extraction technology to separate mixed rare-earth oxides and carbonates into individual high-purity rare-earth oxides, including NdPr, Dy, Tb, Sm, and Gd. Initial capacity targets approximately 9,600 tonnes per annum of total rare-earth oxides (TREO), with first commercial production from Machine A now targeted for 2027. Ucore also holds the Bokan-Dotson Ridge heavy-REE deposit in Alaska as a long-term resource and operates a Commercialization and Demonstration Facility in Kingston, Ontario.