U.S. Backs Critical Minerals, Creating Tailwinds for Sunrise and Clean TeQ’s MBIX Technology

Scandium has entered the critical minerals race.

July 22, 2025 -- Its inclusion on the U.S. Government’s Critical Minerals List reflects growing demand in aerospace, clean energy, and national defence; opening the door for new supply partnerships and the technologies that enable them.

This focus is designed to make scandium recovery more competitive and economically viable as the U.S. Government aims to reduce dependence on foreign-controlled supply chains. To promote scandium recovery, the new Administration is now taking equity stakes and initiating offtake agreements to catalyse production of critical minerals.

Based in New South Wales, Australia, Sunrise Energy Metals (“Sunrise”) owns one of the world’s largest undeveloped sources of scandium and critical battery metals. Clean TeQ, as Sunrise’s key technology partner, is well positioned to support future development as global demand for secure scandium supply continues to grow.

A Long-Term Relationship with Growing Commercial Potential

A leader in advanced hydrometallurgical technology through its Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) platform, Clean TeQ is finalising a feasibility study for Sunrise’s Syerston Scandium Project.

The study forms part of a long-standing strategic relationship with Sunrise and builds on earlier work demonstrating the effectiveness of MBIX to produce high-purity scandium oxide for solid oxide fuel cells, aluminium-scandium alloys, semiconductors and next-generation defence and aviation materials.

Clean TeQ’s relationship with Sunrise dates back to 2014, when it acquired the Syerston Nickel Cobalt Project – the host of the scandium resource. In 2021, Clean TeQ was renamed Sunrise Energy Metals Limited and Clean TeQ Water was established and listed as a separate entity on the ASX.

Vested Interest in Success

In a landmark July 2025 transaction, the U.S. Department of Defence became the largest shareholder in MP Materials, investing $400 million for a 15% equity stake. The agreement includes a decade-long offtake commitment for rare earth magnets and a strategic supply guarantee for domestic defence needs.

“The MP Materials deal sent a clear message: the U.S. is not just supporting critical minerals projects diplomatically – it is now funding them directly,” said a Washington-based critical minerals policy analyst.

This precedent creates a strong case for U.S. equity and offtake support for other shovel-ready critical mineral assets globally, and demonstrates that the US is committed to the success of effective, commercial scale mine development.

MBIX in Action: Proven Results

In 2016, Clean TeQ’s proprietary MBIX technology demonstrated its ability to efficiently extract scandium using a resin-in-pulp (RIP) process, in which ion exchange resins are directly contacted with leached slurry. This achieved an extraction rate of more than 98% of contained metal in solution.

Ion exchange resins used in MBIX are ideal for recovery and concentration of lower concentration metals. Compared with conventional flowsheets, they offer the potential for lower capital and operating costs, uniquely positioning Clean TeQ to support Sunrise in unlocking high-grade scandium from its laterite resource.

Strategic Supply, Renewable Advantage

Sunrise offers several strategic advantages likely to appeal to investors:

• High scandium concentrations
• Renewable-powered operations planned for ESG leadership
• Ready-to-scale production flowsheet
• Simple and shallow mining

Outlook

With scandium’s role in energy, aerospace, and defence rising sharply – and with the U.S. now demonstrating its willingness to take direct equity positions in strategic projects – Sunrise may become a cornerstone of allied critical mineral supply. Clean TeQ, as its technology linchpin, stands to benefit from this shifting industrial and geopolitical landscape.

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