cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/7562103
In China, accounting for roughly 90 per cent of global rare earth refining capacity, a typical rare earth processing plant employs hundreds of workers moving through networks of large chemical tanks which is often hazardous work. In the Canadian facility, this process will instead be controlled by an AI-based operating system.
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Since 2020, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), a government-supported research organisation, has been building a rare earth processing facility funded by the provincial government of Saskatchewan and the federal government of Canada.
The plant covers the entire chain from mineral concentrate to finished metal. It includes hydrometallurgy, chemical separation and metal smelting – all based on proprietary technologies developed in-house. The system was designed with a focus on operator safety and reduced environmental exposure to hazardous substances.
The facility is expected to be substantially completed in September 2026 and commissioned by December of the same year. After a ramp-up period, full operations are planned for 2027.
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One of the most technically demanding parts of rare earth production is separating up to 17 chemically similar elements.
In many Chinese plants, this work involves more than 200 workers manually adjusting valves and chemical flows across large separation systems.
At the Saskatchewan facility, much of the process will instead be controlled by an AI-based operating system. The system continuously analyses thousands of data points and adjusts the process in real time.
The goal is to reduce waste, limit worker exposure to hazardous chemicals, and improve metal purity.
The facility is intentionally smaller than major Chinese plants, with roughly 25 to 30 per cent of the capacity of a full-scale refinery. For now, it functions largely as a demonstration plant for new processing technology.
Despite its size, developers say it can already produce high-purity rare earth metals.
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AI-Driven plant for mineral refining?.. this is like when they put “blockchain” on everything to make sure it caught some hype
At the Saskatchewan facility, much of the process will instead be controlled by an AI-based operating system.
So Windose? that is basically Microslop today
The system continuously analyses thousands of data points and adjusts the process in real time.
Literally something done today without AI… what’s the AI component here?. This process seems to be ENTIRELY deterministic, I can’t see what the benefit of “AI” here… except the AI hype thingy
It turns red when there’s a problem. It’s intelligent, see?
I sincerely hope there’s no generative AI involved, for the safety of the people on site.
Im sure if will be a mostly normal mining operation. This reeks of shit they had to say to get funding.
Absolutely, that is the same impression I got
It’s probably just a neural network instead of a decision tree.
You’d design and train it the same way. But a neural network might be better for managing second order effects than a tree.
That’s a possibility, too bad the article is so crappy and devoid of actual info
In many Chinese plants, this work involves more than 200 workers manually adjusting valves and chemical flows across large separation systems.
At the Saskatchewan facility, much of the process will instead be controlled by an AI-based operating system. The system continuously analyses thousands of data points and adjusts the process in real time.
Yes, I read the article (which was fairly shitty on details).
Manual labour replaced by production lines have fuck all to do with AI. Again, if you are measuring x-many variables and adjusting on a predictable pattern, that is just good old logic and algorithms used since programming was a thing.
Yes that’s called “an industrial control system”. Honeywell has been making them for decades.
Call it whatever you want. Unlike in China, however, where hundreds of workers in each plant are exposed to hazardous substances while manually adjusting valves and chemical flows across large separation systems, the Canadian plant is safer for the workers and the environment.
I’ll call it what it is actually called: “Industrial Automation”… and I am not arguing it’s a bad thing, I am just arguing against peddling AI which is complete bullshit
I am just wondering why they don’t do it in China where hundreds of workers in each plant are exposed to hazardous substances while manually adjusting valves and chemical flows, while the Canadian plant makes the process safer the workers and the environment.
Seems Canada makes a major step in the right direction.
It definitely is a step in the right direction…
Why China doesn’t? Well, I can’t know for certain but China has a “strategy” of keeping costs down by disregarding labour and environmental risks… this is why we exported most manufacturing there so we can enjoy the cheap price and pretend not to know we are fucking people and the environment (easier to do it far from home)
The other reason is that the world wants to keep China “in its place” so we have all embargo them so they cannot access high end chips to use in their own endeavors; these would be needed for anything that runs automation.
That plant had better run on locally-hosted, offline control software. If this is Internet-connected it’s going to be a huge cybersecurity target.
Every shift as an operator will be a new adventure at this motherfucking place.
"Oops I know you told me not to dump the H2S04 into the storm drain but I did it anyway, I won’t do it again.
You should be more worried about mind-control satellites anyway my love"
If the plant doesn’t provide as many jobs, what is the community getting for allowing the extraction, use and sale of their natural resources?
They are making some “job creator” happy
/s