Scandium Canada Ltd. has secured federal government support of up to $6.9 million for its Crater Lake scandium and rare earth elements project in Quebec, marking a significant step in Canada's efforts to establish secure critical mineral supply chains. The non-refundable contribution agreement under Natural Resources Canada's Global Partnerships Initiative represents 69% of project costs and will fund the scaling up of patent-pending processes for mineral beneficiation, extraction, and purification through advanced engineering standards and applied research with end users.
The funding announcement was made at PDAC 2026 by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson and Scandium Canada CEO Guy Bourassa, highlighting the project's strategic importance as North America's largest primary source of scandium. This support enables immediate value creation through the company's Scandium+ division, which focuses on proprietary aluminum-scandium alloys amenable to 3D printing and advanced manufacturing. The GPI program aims to strengthen domestic supply chains and advance Canada's position as a reliable supplier of critical minerals to global markets, particularly to allied nations seeking to reduce dependency on foreign sources as detailed on SEDAR+.
Scandium Canada's international partnerships stand to benefit directly from this federal investment. The company continues to advance integration of its proprietary scandium-modified alloys with Gränges Powder Metallurgy, a global supplier of spray-formed aluminum products and aluminum powders for additive manufacturing. A second partnership leverages the company's specialized metallurgical knowledge for recovering scandium from polymetallic deposits, extending Canadian scientific expertise into international mining operations. A third strategic partner shares the commitment to building resilient, non-Chinese supply chains for critical minerals.
"NRCan's support is a crucial milestone that provides non-dilutive funding through 2028, allowing our team to focus entirely on execution," stated Bourassa. "Together with our international partners, we will accelerate the development of Crater Lake while continuing to advance our Scandium+ alloy commercialization efforts, demonstrating to the world that Canada is a reliable, world-class supplier of the critical materials our allies can depend on." Minister Hodgson emphasized that "Canada and our partners are putting real capital behind the secure and sustainable critical mineral supply chains that our economies and defence industries rely on."
The Crater Lake project's advancement addresses growing global demand for lighter, greener, longer-lasting, high-performance materials while supporting Canada's leadership in the G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance. This development comes as nations worldwide seek to diversify critical mineral sources away from concentrated supply chains, with scandium being particularly challenging to separate and purify from co-occurring nickel and cobalt mineralization. The project's progress can be tracked through the company's official communications at www.scandium-canada.com.
