DOST invests P9 M on R&D for nickel extracts

MANILA, Philippines -  The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will pour an initial P9 million on research and development on capabilities to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from the country’s nickel laterites.

Carlos Primo David, executive director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), said that the R&D project would be pursued in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

David said that the R&D will initially aim to extract scandium, one of the REEs, from the low-grade laterite soil abundant in many nickel-rich areas in the country, to allow the country to earn more from its richness in laterites.

Currently, the Philippines exports all its laterites, mostly to China, unable to do processing into REEs, because of the lack of know-how.

Rare earth metals are a group of elements that are used in a wide range of electronic products like computers and mobile phones as well as green technology.

Aside from scandium, other REEs are yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium.

Currently, China has a tight control over the world’s REE market, reportedly supplying more than 90 percent of the market. This domination of the market came after it recognized the importance of rare earths decades ago and moved to find and mine for the metals.