According to a report on Mining.com, a spokesperson for Teck Resources revealed to Reuters on the 20th that the company is considering expanding its germanium production.
Doug Brown, Vice President of Communications and Government Affairs at Teck, disclosed that the company is currently negotiating with the Canadian and US governments for financing, aiming to increase its germanium capacity.
Germanium is one of the 50 minerals deemed critical to the US economy and national security by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This metal is used in the production of semiconductors and infrared technology, as well as in fiber optic cables and solar cells.
Teck, based in Vancouver, is currently the largest producer of germanium in North America and the fourth largest in the world.
The company produces this critical mineral as a byproduct at its "Red Dog" zinc mine in Alaska. Most of the germanium is smelted in British Columbia, Canada, and then shipped to the US.
Brown stated that Teck is currently "exploring the integration of existing technologies into the process."
Teck's plan to expand germanium production comes at a time when the US is seeking to diversify its supply of critical minerals for national defense.
In January last year, Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, stated in Washington that he hoped to jointly invest with the US in critical minerals such as germanium.
