Arkadian Produces Rare Earth Concentrates in Greenland
Initial scoping tests at the Motzfeldt project in Greenland raised rare earth oxide grade from 0.65% to 13.37%.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Geology
Arkadian Strategic Metals PLC, majority owner of the Motzfeldt project in Greenland, produced rare earth concentrates in initial metallurgical tests. A preliminary flotation test lifted the grade to 13.37% total rare earth oxides from a 0.65% starting grade, recovering 20.3% of the oxides in the test feed.
Why it matters
The results indicate that the Aries deposit, which hosts an inferred mineral resource of 340 million tonnes, may be able to yield a higher-grade product from low-grade feed. The company's next phase is designed to raise recovery and concentrate grade further.
The flotation test raised total rare earth oxide grade from 0.65% to 13.37%, recovering 20.3% of oxides from the test feed. The results come from a single, unoptimised stage on one bulk sample, and performance at commercial scale has not been established.
The players
Arkadian Strategic Metals PLC
Arkadian Strategic Metals PLC is the company that holds majority ownership of the Motzfeldt project in Greenland and conducted the rare earth scoping tests.
The details
Gravity tests produced concentrates carrying rare earths and zirconium, and the company is planning a second phase to test combined gravity separation and flotation. Mineral analysis identified finer grinding as the main route to improving recovery.
Timeline
Initial metallurgical test results were published on 3 November 2026.
Big Picture
The Aries deposit's 340 million-tonne inferred resource is the basis on which the company is advancing from scoping tests to a Phase 2 program aimed at raising recovery and concentrate grade. Whether the flotation gains hold at larger scale will determine whether the Motzfeldt project moves toward commercial production.
For investors and observers following critical minerals, the results indicate a possible route to higher-grade rare earth concentrates from low-grade feed. Results from the next phase will indicate whether recovery gains are achievable at larger scale.
The takeaway
Initial scoping results show that grade can be raised substantially from low-grade feed, but recovery remains modest and untested at scale. Further phases of work will show whether the flotation gains can be sustained.
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