In an InvestorNews interview with Tracy Hughes, Guy Bourassa, CEO of Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSXV: SCD), highlighted the strategic implications of China’s recent decision to cease scandium exports, describing it as “shocking news for any end user.” Bourassa emphasized that approximately 75% of the global scandium supply comes from China, creating a significant opportunity for reliable producers in “good countries like Australia and Canada.” According to Bourassa, scandium is the “metal for the future,” significantly enhancing the properties of aluminum. He noted, adding just “.4% of scandium oxide into a pure bar of aluminum multiplies by eight times its strength without adding weight,” making it transformative for industries such as automotive, aerospace, and defense.
This shift in the scandium market coincides with Scandium Canada’s promising developments at its flagship Crater Lake project. Recent drilling has expanded the known resource by over 250 meters to the south, resulting in an impressive increase of 38% in indicated scandium resources and 31% in inferred resources. Bourassa highlights that this new resource estimate ensures “over 30-40 years of production,” marking Crater Lake as the world’s only known hard-rock scandium project currently in development. He emphasizes the unique geological potential, noting the deposit remains open in all directions, with significant exploration upside.
The updated resource estimate, independently verified by Norda Stelo Inc., confirms indicated resources of 16.3 million tonnes at 277.9 g/t Sc₂O₃ and inferred resources of 20.9 million tonnes at 271.7 g/t Sc₂O₃ within the TG Zone. Bourassa underscores the significance of the 38% increase in indicated resources, stating, “that’s what we’re going to be working with for the pre-feasibility study to determine mining reserves.” The TG Zone extension and continued exploration offer robust economic potential, reinforced by strategic interest from large end-users who Bourassa anticipates may step in to facilitate the project’s advancement towards production.
Leave a Reply