Industries seeking alternatives to reliance on Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

In an informative article in today's Toronto Star, Clean Break columnist Tyler Hamilton, a very knowledgeable green power expert, explains that many clean power technology industries do have options not involving rare earth elements.

My feeling is that while it is true there are many green technologies that do not require rare earth elements, the countries and companies that have the option of using them will develop superior technology in the end. In the near term, the shortage may actually spur a whole new generation of LED lighting and other innovations, but in the medium to longer term I'd like North American companies to have secure access to rare earth elements.

The article is not yet online, however check TheStar.com tomorrow for it, and I may also post some quotes from it right here.

Wind Energy company news investing info

Windpower Companies Stocks Updates

A few news items that caught my eye recently:

Vestas Wind wins 2011 Zayed Future Energy Prize

Lincoln Electric System signs 20 year, 10 meg deal with Laredo

Wind energy proving to be a great solution for New Zealand

Spain's Iberdrola SA agreed to buy Brazil’s Elektro Eletricidade

Kevin Douglas, founder of Douglas Telecom, buying more American Superconductor stock

Suzlon rallies on 218 megawatt Brazilian sale

Wind Energy Stocks for 2011, Company Website Links

Publicly-listed Windpower Companies and Suppliers

AAER Wind Energy (TSX-V) Canadian windpower stock

Acciona Windpower (ANA.MC)

AeroVironment (AVAV) rooftop wind energy systems

American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) wind and solar power convertors and superconductors

America's Wind Energy Corporation (OTC: AWNE)

A-Power Energy Generation Systems (APWR), formerly China Energy Tech

Babcock & Brown Wind Partners (ASX: BBW BBWPF.PK)

Boralex Wind Power (TSE: BLX) wind farm operator

Broadwind Energy Corp Official Company website (BWEN.OB)

China High Speed Transmission Equipment Group Co., (CHSTF) Ltd.

Cleanfield Energy Corp (TSX:AIR)

Clipper Windpower (CWPR.L) wind turbine manufacturer

Dakshidin Wind (DKSC) - RESTEC water pumping windmills

Duke Energy Corporation windpower and natural gas

EDF Energies Nouvelle (EEN.PA) english website

EDP Renovaveis (EDPR.LB) - Brazil and Iberia clean renewable energy producer

First Wind Energy (WNDY) company website, 2008 windpower IPO

Gamesa Corp (GAM.MC) wind company website in english

GE Power Wind Energy website

Greentech, Denmark-based windpower development company

Hansen Transmissions International NV (HSN) wind turbine gearbox manufacturer

Iberdola Renovables official company website in english

Itron.com (NASD: ITRI) Energy and Water Resource Management

Juhl Wind Inc. (JUHL.OB) - Community windpower leader

Kaydon Corp (KDN) - Leading manufacturer of bearings for wind turbines

Maxwell Technologies (MXWL) wind turbine ultracapacitors

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (MHVYF)

Nacel Energy (NCEN.OB) USA, Caribbean and Latin America wind power

Naikun Wind Energy (NKW) Canada-based wind power and natural gas

NextEraEnergy (NYSE: NEE) - Clean energy division of Florida Light and Power

Nordex Group (eiNDX1) - German Wind Energy Company

Novera Energy PLC (LSE:NVE) - UK wind power producer

Otter Tail Corporation (OTTR) wind tower manufacturer

Plambeck Holding (eiPNE3) - German Wind Energy Park and Biogas Plant Owner / Manager

REPower Systems AG (RPW.DE), German wind turbine manufacturer

SkyPower Wind Energy Fund

SkyPower.com - Canadian wind energy company

Suzlon Energy (SUZL) windpower company

Theolia (eQ18481) - France-based Windpower and Biogas power plant developer

TransAlta Corporation (TSX: T.TA) - This is the company that took over KHD, Canadian Hydro

Trinity Industries (TRN) wind energy tower manufacturer

Vestas Wind Systems (VWSYF)#1 windpower company

Welwind Energy Intl (WWEI.OB) developer of wind farms in China

Western Wind Energy (WND: TSX.V)

Wind Energy America (OTC:WNEA) USA wind farm developer

Windflow Technology Ltd (NZAX:WTL), New Zealand wind turbine designer / manufacturer

Xcel Energy Inc (XEL) diversified USA power producer, wind farm developer

Xinjiang Goldwind Sci & Tech Co - China wind turbine manufacturer, official company website

Zoltek Cos (ZOLT) - Carbon Fiber Manufacturer, Aerospace Composites stock



Green Energy Investing links:

Best Green Stocks website

Green Mutual Funds blog

Geothermal Power Stocks

Photovoltaic Solar Stocks

Canadian Wind Energy Atlas

Publicly-traded Rare Earth Elements stocks to watch

Rare Earth Minerals stocks, investing in Rare Earth Elements


Here is a list of publicly-traded Rare Earth Elements stocks:

Alkane Resource Ltd. (ASX:ALK, PK:ALKEF)

Arafura Resources Ltd. (ASX:ARU, PK:ARAFF)

Avalon Rare Metals Inc.(TSX:AVL, AMEX:AVL)

Canadian International Minerals Inc (CVE:CIN)

Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXV:CCE)

Frontier Rare Earths Ltd. (TSX:FRO)

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (TSX.V:GWG, OTCBB:GWMGF)

Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd. (ASX:GGG, PK:GDLNF)

Hudson Resources Ltd. (TSX.V:HUD, OTCQX:HUDRF)

IBC Advanced Alloys (IBC)

Kirrin Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:KYM)

Lomiko Metals Inc. (TSX-V:LMR)

Lynas Corporation Limited (ASX:LYC)

Matamec Explorations Inc. (TSX.V:MAT, PK:MTCEF)

Medallion Resources Ltd (TSX-V: MDL)

Molycorp Inc (NYSE:MCP)

Navigator Resources Ltd. (ASX:NAV)

Quantum Rare Earth Developments (TSX.V:QRE)

Quest Minerals(QRM.V)

Rare Element Resources (TXS:C.RES)

Stans Energy Corp. (TSX: V.RUU)

Tasman Metals (TSM.V)



As of January 2011, here is a list of 17 Rare Earth Elements mining projects (TMR Advanced Rare-Earths Project Index), and the rare earth minerals mining companies that are behind these ventures (list courtesy of Resource Investor – News That Trades)

Bear Lodge (Bull Hill Zone) – Wyoming, USA : Rare Element Resources Ltd. (TSX.V:RES, AMEX:REE)

Cummins Range – Western Australia, Australia : Navigator Resources Ltd. (ASX:NAV)

Dubbo – New South Wales, Australia – Alkane Resource Ltd. (ASX:ALK, PK:ALKEF)

Hoidas Lake – Saskatchewan, Canada : Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (TSX.V:GWG, OTCBB:GWMGF)

Kangankunde – Balaka, Malawi : Lynas Corporation Ltd. (ASX:LYC, PK:LYSCF)

Kutessay II – Chui, Kyrgyzstan : Stans Energy Corp. (TSX.V:RUU)

Kvanefjeld – Kujalleq, Greenland : Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd. (ASX:GGG, PK:GDLNF)

Mount Weld – Western Australia, Australia : Lynas Corporation Ltd. (ASX:LYC. PK:LYSCF)

Mountain Pass – California, USA : Molycorp Inc. (NYSE:MCP)

Nechalacho (Thor Lake Basal Zone) – Northwest Territories, Canada : Avalon Rare Metals Inc.(TSX:AVL, AMEX:AVL)

Nolans Bore – Northern Territory, Australia : Arafura Resources Ltd. (ASX:ARU, PK:ARAFF)

Norra Karr – Småland, Sweden : Tasman Metals Ltd. (TSX.V:TSM, PK:TASXF, F:T61)

Sarfartoq (ST1 Zone) – Qaasuitsup, Greenland : Hudson Resources Ltd. (TSX.V:HUD, OTCQX:HUDRF)

Steenkampskraal – Western Cape, South Africa : Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (TSX.V:GWG, OTCBB:GWMGF) & Rare Earth Extraction Co. Ltd.

Strange Lake (B Zone) – Quebec, Canada : Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. (TSX.V:QRM)

Zandkopsdrift – Northern Cape, South Africa : Frontier Rare Earths Ltd. (TSX:FRO)

Zeus (Kipawa) – Quebec, Canada : Matamec Explorations Inc. (TSX.V:MAT, PK:MTCEF)



Member companies of the Bloomberg Rare Earth Mineral Resources Index and their respective weightings:

Company Ticker Symbols Weighting (%)

Molycorp Inc. NYSE:MCP 16.4

Lynas Corporation Ltd. ASX:LYC, PK:LYSCF 15.0

Avalon Rare Metals Inc. TSX:AVL, AMEX:AVL 11.4

Rare Element Resources Ltd. TSX.V:RES, AMEX:REE 11.2

Arafura Resources Ltd. ASX:ARU, PK:ARAFF 10.0

Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd. ASX:GGG, PK:GDLNF 6.7

Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. TSX.V:QRM, PK:QSURD 6.3

Frontier Rare Earths Ltd. TSX:FRO 5.9

Alkane Resources Ltd. ASX:ALK, PK:ALKEF 5.0

Tasman Metals Ltd. TSX.V:TSM, PK:TASXF, F:T61 4.6

Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. TSX.V:GWG, OTCBB:GWMGF 4.2

Navigator Resources Limited ASX:NAV 2.1

Matamec Explorations Inc. TSX.V:MAT, PK:MTCEF 1.2



Many Happy Returns in 2011!


(Note of Caution: Investing in individual equity securities is for high risk investors, and junior mining stocks have added speculative risk on top of that. Medium risk investors should seeking exposure to the industry may want to research and invest in resource funds with a significant Rare Earth Elements component, and even then as part of a widely diversified portfolio)

Rare Earth Elements 101; Sources and Uses/Applications

If we are going to transform this planet into a sustainable, infinite energy powered living macine, then Rare Earth Elements will continue to be key components of new technology developed and marketed over the coming years and decades.

Rare Earth Elements are referred to in a variety of ways that are abbreviated as follows:

RE = rare earth
REM = rare earth metals
REE = rare earth elements
REO = rare earth oxides
LREE = light rare earth elements (La-Sm)
HREE = heavy rare earth elements (Eu-Lu)

Rare Earth Element deposits tend to occur in two ways:

Light rare earth elements (‘LREE’), which include lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), and samarium (Sm)

Heavy rare earth elements (‘HREE’), which are less common and more value, include europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb) and lutetium (Lu)

Yttrium (Y) is most commonly found in association with HREE deposits.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are used in hybrid cars, renewable energy such as windpower, and in many types of modern electronics. Examples of rare Earth Elements in demand include:

Neodymium – Used for magnets in hybrid cars including Prius, Insight, LEAF, Focus, pretty much EVERY hybrid car model available. Also used in the Dyson Vacuum's magnets.

Europium - Europium is not found in nature as a free element, and has no known biological role. It is a by-product of nuclear fission, and is used in television sets, lasers, fluorescent lamps and in medical tests for Down's Syndrome and other genetic illnesses.

Samarium - Though classified as a rare earth element, samarium is the 40th most abundant element in the Earth's crust and is more common than such metals as tin. Samarium occurs with concentration up to 2.8% in several minerals including cerite, gadolinite, samarskite, monazite and bastnäsite, the last two being the most common commercial sources of the element. These minerals are mostly found in China, the USA, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka and Australia; China is by far the world leader in samarium mining and production.

One of the most important applications of samarium is in samarium-cobalt magnets, which have a nominal composition of SmCo5 or Sm2Co17. They have high permanent magnetization, which is about 10,000 times that of iron and is second only to that of neodymium magnets. However, samarium-based magnets have higher resistance to demagnetization, as they are stable to temperatures above 700 °C (cf. 300–400 °C for neodymium magnets). These magnets are found in small motors, headphones, high-end magnetic pickups for guitars and related musical instruments.[8] For example, they are used in the motors of a solar-powered electric aircraft Solar Challenger and in the Samarium Cobalt Noiseless electric guitar and bass pickups.

Another important application of samarium and its compounds is as catalyst and chemical reagent. Samarium catalysts assist decomposition of plastics, dechlorination of pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as the dehydration and dehydrogenation of ethanol.[9] Samarium(III) triflate (Sm(OTf)3, that is Sm(CF3SO3)3) is one of the most efficient Lewis acid catalysts for a halogen-promoted Friedel–Crafts reaction with alkenes.[66] Samarium(II) iodide is a very common reducing and coupling agent in organic synthesis, for example in the desulfonylation reactions; annulation; Danishefsky, Kuwajima, Mukaiyama and Holton Taxol total syntheses;strychnine total synthesis; Barbier reaction and other reductions with samarium(II) iodide.


Erbium - A silvery-white solid metal when artificially isolated, natural erbium is always found in chemical combination with other elements on Earth. As such, it is a rare earth element which is associated with several other rare elements in the mineral gadolinite from Ytterby in Sweden.

It is commonly used as a photographic filter, and because of its resilience it is useful as a metallurgical additive. Erbium-doped optical silica-glass fibers are the active element in erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), which are widely used in optical communications.[12] The same fibers can be used to create fiber lasers. 

Erbium is also used in a variety of medical applications including laser surgery.


Cerium - A major technological application for Cerium(III) oxide is a catalytic converter for the reduction of CO emissions in the exhaust gases from motor vehicles. In particular, cerium oxide is added into Diesel fuels. Another important use of the cerium oxide is a hydrocarbon catalyst in self cleaning ovens, incorporated into oven walls and as a petroleum cracking catalyst in petroleum refining. 

Cerium(IV) oxide is considered one of the most efficient agents for precision polishing of optical components. Cerium compounds are also used in the manufacture of glass, both as a component and as a decolorizer. For example, cerium(IV) oxide in combination with titanium(IV) oxide gives a golden yellow color to glass; it also allows for selective absorption of ultraviolet light in glass. Cerium oxide has high refractive index and is added to enamel to make it more opaque.


Dyprosium – The cost of this metal has risen from under $7 a pound in 2006 to over $130 per pound in 2011! Dysprosium is used, in conjunction with vanadium and other elements, in making laser materials. Because of dysprosium's high thermal neutron absorption cross-section, dysprosium oxide-nickel cermets are used in neutron-absorbing control rods in nuclear reactors.[2][19] Dysprosium-cadmium chalcogenides are sources of infraredradiation which is useful for studying chemical reactions.[1] Because dysprosium and its compounds are highly susceptible to magnetization, they are employed in various data storage applications, such as in hard disks





Mining company Lynas Corp. (ASX: LYC) is a producer of rare earth metals that has seen its stock triple over the past year. Bookmark this page in your Faves, join the RSS blog feed and stay tuned for more 2011 Rare Earth Elements stocks and investments in upcoming posts!