U.S. helps Dominican Republic tap into rare earth revolution

(CKNews) - The Dominican Republic has launched an exploration programme for rare earth elements with the support of the United States.

 The project is being led by the National Mining Corporation (NMC) with support from the US Army Corps of Engineers. President Luis Abinader 

has announced that he will personally oversee the operations of the mineral sector and work with international companies to develop

 mineral resources, particularly rare earth elements. Various minerals, including gold, silver, nickel and bauxite, have been discovered in the country.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

One of these, bauxite, is usually coexisting with rare earth elements. Given the importance of rare earths to modern technology, exploration has 

been prioritised. The main exploration area is the province of Pedernales, which has previously been shown to be enriched in rare earth 

elements.In 2017, the government designated the Avila Mining Reserve as an exploration priority area, and the high levels of rare elements

 in the area were confirmed in a preliminary survey in 2023.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

As part of the Mining Division, Em is responsible for evaluating the size of deposits and the cost-effectiveness of their development. Rare earth

elements play a key role in electric and hybrid car batteries, as well as in numerous consumer and technology products.