Pensana Salt End

Pensana Saltend is a future processing facility for rare earth metals at Salt End, near Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. When operating at capability, the plant aims to produce 5% of world demand for neodymium and praseodymium oxide. Work on the site started in 2021, with full opening by 2023. The facility will be the first of its kind in Europe.

Pensana Saltend
Location of Pensana Saltend
Location	Salt End, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Coordinates	53.741°N 0.244°W / 53.741; -0.244
Industry	Metals refining
Products	Rare earth metals
Employees	100 (2024 projected)
Owner(s)	Pensana
Website	Pensana website

History

The facility will process rare earths from Angola in Africa, for downstream use in cars, phones, and wind turbines.^[1] In September 2021, Pensana confirmed a 25-year lease on the site at Saltend, with a view to providing between 100 and 125 permanent jobs at the plant by 2024.^[2] By the time of its operating capability, the plant is aiming to produce 4,500 tonnes (5,000 tons) of neodymium and praseodymium oxide per year; about 5% of global demand by 2025.^[3]

As most rare earth metals are processed in China, the facility would be the first of its kind in Europe.^[4] The site is located with the Humber Freeport, which launched in October 2021.^[5] The site will have the potential to expand and produce up to 12,500 tonnes (13,800 tons) of rare earth metals per year, most of which will be destined for the wind power markets. The intent is that 100% of power for the facility will come from the Dogger Bank Wind Farm via a direct link.^[6] The plant is seen as part of a growing concern regarding the supply of the minerals necessary for electric car batteries and wind turbines, as part of a de-carbonised economy. However, with China de-carbonising their industries, it is thought that rare earth metals will be subject to supply issues.^[7]

Pensana was formed in 2006, and Besides their future mining operations in Angola, Pensana are also mining for rare earths in Gabon.^[8][9] Pensana claim that their mining and quarrying processes are 'greener' than other mining companies.^[10]

In January 2022, a revised application was lodged with a different location some 0.5-mile (0.8 km) to the north-east and covering an area of 35 acres (14 ha). The application also sought to allow for the storage of hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide and oxalic acid.^[11] In May 2022, East Riding councillors approved the application which will cover over 216,000 square feet (20,100 m²).^[12]

References

1. Casci, Mark (6 July 2021). "Pensana underway on Europe's first rare earth hub". The Yorkshire Post. Business. p. 1. ISSN 0963-1496.
2. Laister, David (8 September 2021). "Pensana commits to area with 25 year lease". Hull Daily Mail. Business. p. 1. ISSN 1741-3419.
3. MacAskill, Jamie, ed. (5 January 2022). "Pensana strikes £10m deal". Hull Daily Mail. Business. p. 3. ISSN 1741-3419.
4. Mitchinson, James, ed. (31 March 2021). "Rare earth company reports a $1.7m loss". The Yorkshire Post. p. 18. ISSN 0963-1496.
5. Laister, David (29 October 2021). "Freeport given launch approval at Humber sites". Hull Daily Mail. p. 16. ISSN 1741-3419.
6. Oliver, Matt (16 January 2022). "UK's first rare earth refinery to be a global player". The Sunday Telegraph. No. 3, 161. Business section. p. 8. ISSN 0307-269X.
7. Nimmo, Jamie (16 May 2021). "Why China's stranglehold on rare minerals could cost us the earth". The Times. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
8. Evans, Chris, ed. (7 July 2020). "Pensana rare earths climbs 54pc in one day". The Daily Telegraph. No. 51, 363. Business section. p. 7. ISSN 0307-1235.
9. Tarrant, Katie (24 October 2021). "Startups with spark". The Sunday Times. No. 10, 285. p. 34.
10. de Quetteville, Harry (16 January 2021). "The Dark Side of Green". The Daily Telegraph. No. 51, 528. The Daily Telegraph Magazine. p. 28. ISSN 0307-1235.
11. Mitchinson, James, ed. (27 January 2022). "Minerals processing plant aims to tap into demand for electric cars". The Yorkshire Post. p. 10. ISSN 0963-1496.
12. Wood, Alexandra (27 May 2022). "£150m rare earth refinery gets green light despite health fears". The Yorkshire Post. p. 6. ISSN 0963-1496.