Canadian Government Funds Miner to Recover Germanium from Zinc Ore

According to a report by Globe and Mail, cited by Mining.com, the Canadian government would invest hundreds of millions of dollars to support Teck Resources in building its Trail metal facility in British Columbia to expand germanium production and strengthen the North American critical minerals supply chain.

The report, citing people familiar with the matter, said the funding would come from Natural Resources Canada, the Canada Growth Fund, and Export Development Canada (EDC).

According to information released by Natural Resources Canada on July 3, Minister Tim Hodgson will deliver an important speech on critical minerals. A spokesperson for the department did not respond to a request for comment.

Largest Producer

Vancouver-based Teck is the largest germanium producer in North America, recovering this mineral from zinc ores in Alaska. The company is the only enterprise in Canada supplying germanium oxide to the US.

Germanium is essential for national defense equipment, semiconductors, and chip manufacturing. Domestic production and processing capacity in the US is limited, making it necessary to secure new sources of supply.

In May, Titan Mining said it was evaluating the possibility of collaborating with Teck to recover germanium from US zinc mines.

Under a company agreement signed on May 14, Titan and Teck plan to recover 13 mt of germanium per year from Titan's Empire State zinc mine in New York State. Titan CEO Rita Adiani disclosed on Tuesday that the current germanium price in the US is $6,000/kg.

Specialty Metals

Germanium is a specialty metal produced at Teck’s Trail complex, alongside primary products lead and zinc, as well as indium and antimony. The facility is the world’s largest integrated lead and zinc smelter.

With little to no germanium production domestically, securing its supply has become a critical issue for the US and other Western countries.