Uranium Energy Corporation has filed the initial assessment technical report summary for its Alto Paraná Titanium Project as required by the Securities Exchange Commission’s S-K 1300 regulations. 

The announcement by Uranium Energy Corporation (UEC) follows the successful completion of an updated and improved resource classification, while successful smelting tests have also been conducted. The finalisation of the filing represents a step forward in the company’s plan to bring the project online. The deposit is located in eastern Paraguay within the Alto Paraná Province and holds a resource of 3.6Bnt of ore at a grade of 7.3% TiO₂.   UEC acquired 100% ownership of the project in 2017 from CIC Resources and plans to develop the operations to produce 150ktpy of titania slag and 100ktpy of pig iron.  

Global titanium slag production outside of China is currently dominated by Canada and South Africa with smaller volumes from Norway. Considering this limited geographical distribution of slag production, UEC will be positioned as a significant raw materials supplier of titanium dioxide for the production of pigments and titanium metal.

Additionally, the project will utilise low-cost hydroelectric renewable power from Itaipu dam, located less than 25km from the smelting site. The use of hydropower to produce  TiO₂ slag will allow UEC to introduce a low-carbon value chain for its clients. This, in turn, will help reduce the associated scope 3 emissions for energy-intensive downstream end users as energy transition narratives and global net-zero 2050 goals sway the market towards decarbonisation.

Titanium metal is often out-costed by alternative materials such as stainless steel that have a lower production cost as compared to the energy-intensive process associated with titanium. However, given the abundant natural occurrence in heavy mineral sands, a lower-cost processing route would increase the metals competitiveness as a lighter-weight alternative.