The semiconductor company 5N Plus announced on Wednesday that it has reached a trade agreement with multinational Rio Tinto to refine the important and strategic mineral tellurium for the economy and national security.
The ore produced at the Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah will be refined and processed by 5N Plus in Montreal and will be used primarily to manufacture photovoltaic modules by the American company First Solar.
Delurium will also be used to make semiconductor substrates at its 5N Plus plant in St. George, Utah, according to a 2007 agreement to supply First Solar Semiconductor products.
Last June, 5N Plus announced a major investment in Montreal to boost production of highly pure tellurium-based semiconductor compounds.
“Through our new partnership with Rio Tinto, we will be able to accelerate semiconductor development and manufacturing operations in North America,” Gervais Jacques, President and CEO of 5N Plus, said in a statement.
“Our investment in expanding our Montreal facilities will allow us to refine the extra amount of dellurium for applications in the renewable energy sector,” he said. Said Jax.
“This agreement with 5N Plus is an important step in establishing a stable North American supply chain of vital minerals that supports clean energy conversion,” said Rio CEO Tinto Copper.