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April 14,
2010
INDUSTRY BULLETIN: Avalon Actively Participates
in Rare Earth Summit and Atlantic Council of Canada Spring Conferences
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Atlantic Council of Canada
(ACC) - Toronto, Ontario
This year's ACC Spring
Conference, under the banner Minimizing
Conflict in the Race for Natural Resources: Securing Economic Security in
the 21st Century attracted some 80 delegates from across
Canada and included senior Canadian government and NATO-based advisory
staff and policy makers, strategy think tank analysts, and academics. The
ACC has recognized that Energy security and resource conflict have become
important issues amid concern about the impact of energy prices and
regional supply shortfalls on international security and global economic
security.
Avalon, represented by Ian
London, who serves as Avalon's market development & energy advisor,
was invited to address the subject "Rare Earths and
Future Metals: What are they and why are they important?" The presentation included an overview of
how rare earths are enabling improved effectiveness and productivity in
renewable energy and energy conservation technologies, communications and
medicine. It also covered the fundamentals of supply and demand for REEs
and the need to ensure North American and European economic development
within a framework of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
During his presentation and the extensive discussion that followed, Mr.
London also elaborated on several key raw material supply realities
including:
� That despite
optimistic projections from project proponents, bringing new resources
into production faces long development timelines and significant
technical challenges before they can be realistically considered as
potential new supply sources. Furthermore, the delegates were reminded
that most new rare earth developments were predominately light rare earth
deposits, respecting the needs of high performance magnets and phosphors
are primarily reliant on heavy rare earths such as europium, terbium,
dysprosium and yttrium;
� How industry and
new government policy initiatives or incentives are being considered to
ensure that a reliable long-term domestic supply of critical raw
materials, such as the heavy rare earths, are developed and maintained;
� How Canada's
mineral endowment includes world class resources of rare earth elements
and other rare metals such as Nechalacho, and that primary rare earth
production can be leveraged to attract value-added business development
here, as it has in China; and
� That there is a
role for government and policy makers in:
o Ensuring an effective and efficient regulatory
framework is in place,
o Supporting northern infrastructure development
and First Nations capacity building, and
o Encouraging R&D and education in Material
Sciences, Technology and CleanTech manufacturing.
Rare Metals Summit - Los Angeles, CA
The Rare Metals Summit (April 7 - 9), hosted about 70 people involved in
many aspects of the rare metals business from individual investors, to
supply chain managers from end-users in the electronics and automotive
industries, concerned government agencies, NGO's, and financial analysts.
Topics were diverse, ranging from presentations by individuals
from the mineral exploration sector front end to recyclers of rare metals
at the back end of the supply chain. Perspectives on security of
supply issues centered on the U.S., Japan, Europe, southeast Asian
countries and those of the Original Equipment Manufacturers such as
Microsoft, Dell, GE, and GM.
Avalon's expert geological consultant on rare metals, Dr. David
Trueman, gave two presentations at the Summit. The first covered
mining to markets for the rare metals niobium and tantalum and the second
covered the many electronic aerospace applications of the 'fly by wire'
rare metals.
"It was interesting to see a growing knowledge of the uses of
the rare metals in renewable energy applications and the need for
sustainable development of them, which was not evident only a year ago.
In addition to the growing recognition of the importance of rare earth
magnets in advanced wind turbine technology, it was also interesting to
see new recognition of the solar industry needs for indium, gallium,
germanium, the "CIGS" metals." said Dr. Trueman.
At both conferences, Avalon emphasized that with its Nechalacho
Rare Earth Elements deposit at Thor Lake, NWT, being the only known North
American REE deposit containing economically significant quantities of
the heavy rare earths, it is in a unique position to play a key role in
developing a North American solution to the emerging U.S. REE supply
chain "capability gap".
If you have any comments or questions on this article or the rare
earths generally, please do not hesitate to post them on www.raremetalblog.com or feel free to contact the company directly at ir@avalonraremetals.com.
ABOUT AVALON RARE METALS INC.
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (TSX:AVL) (OTCQX:AVARF) is a mineral exploration and development
company focused on rare metals deposits in Canada. Its flagship project,
the 100%-owned Nechalacho Deposit, Thor Lake, NWT, is emerging as one of
the largest undeveloped rare earth elements resources in the world. Its
exceptional enrichment in the more valuable 'heavy' rare earth elements,
which are key to enabling advances in green energy technology and other
growing high-tech applications, is one of the few potential sources of
these critical elements outside of China, currently the source of 95% of
world supply. Avalon is well funded, has no debt and its work programs
are progressing steadily. Social responsibility and environmental
stewardship are corporate cornerstones. Avalon's performance on community
engagement in the north earned it the 2010 PDAC Environmental and Social
Responsibility Award.
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