Scandium (Sc): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Scandium is produced mainly as a byproduct, and its principal uses are in aerospace alloys and solid oxide fuel cells. US net import reliance for scandium in 2025 was 100%. Scandium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
$640/kg
scandium oxide, powder, 99.99% purity (5 to 100 kilogram lots), range of average values in 2025 (0% on 2024)
4 of 4
official critical minerals lists (US, EU, Australia, Canada) that include scandium
Which countries produce scandium?
USGS publishes no scandium production table. Its summary table puts world production at 80 tons and records no US production, with China the leading producer and no figure available for its output. USGS estimated global consumption of scandium oxide at 60 tons in 2025.
What is scandium used for?
- Aerospace alloys: a principal use in 2025
- Solid oxide fuel cells: for large-scale power generation and backup power systems for critical infrastructure
- Minor uses: electronics and alloys for military equipment and sporting goods
How much does scandium cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandium oxide, powder, 99.99% purity (5 to 100 kilogram lots), range of average values | dollars per kilogram | 890-1,000 | 820-880 | 700-740 | 660-670 | 640 |
| Scandium metal, ingot, 99.999% purity (1 to 10 kilogram lots) | dollars per kilogram | 5,300 | 5,400 | 5,500 | 5,200 | 5,200 |
| Scandium-aluminum alloy, ingot, 2% scandium (1 to 30 kilogram lots) | dollars per kilogram | 42 | 40 | 37 | 34 | 30 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Scandium. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
Is scandium a critical mineral?
Scandium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Critical |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Critical |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
Export controls and trade measures
- China has required export licenses for rare earths since 2025, and USGS says the April 2025 measures added scandium metal, alloys, oxides and compounds (Table 4 and the scandium chapter).
See the export controls tracker for dates and current status.
What are the substitutes for scandium?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| High-performance scandium-alloy applications | Titanium and aluminum high-strength alloys, and carbon-fiber materials |
| Applications relying on scandium's unique properties | Substitution is not possible in some |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Scandium. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can scandium be recycled?
USGS reports no recycling of scandium.
What are the supply risks and recent events for scandium?
- April 2025. China tightened its export controls on rare earth elements, adding specific controls on scandium metal, alloys, oxides and compounds. As of December 2025 the April controls remained in effect, although China had begun to issue general export licenses to selected exporters.
- August to November 2025. The US Department of War awarded $10 million to a company to develop a mine-to-master-alloy supply chain near Elk Creek, Nebraska, and $29.9 million to another company to develop a US supply of scandium and gallium, including a demonstration facility to separate scandium from industrial waste.
- September to October 2025. The Defense Logistics Agency announced plans to buy more than 6,000 kilograms of scandium oxide for the National Defense Stockpile from a source in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec over 5 years, worth up to $40 million. The Canada Growth Fund committed $18 million to expand that operation to 9 tons per year of scandium oxide, with an offtake agreement with the Government of Canada.
- October 2025. The Australian Government granted a mining license for the Nyngan scandium project in New South Wales.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Scandium oxide: Japan, 89%; China, 11% (from shipping records, since there are no trade codes for scandium). (USGS)
Resources. Scandium resources are abundant but rarely occur in high concentrations, so economically recoverable scandium was produced mainly as a byproduct. Resources have been identified in Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Norway, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States.
Which companies produce or process scandium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Tinto | Canada (Sorel-Tracy, Quebec) | Scandium oxide producer (LSE: RIO; ASX: RIO; NYSE: RIO) | Its 1 November 2025 release says the Canada Growth Fund will invest about C$25 million to expand Sorel-Tracy to a nameplate capacity of nine tonnes a year of scandium oxide, calls it North America's sole facility able to supply the material, and says the Government of Canada has agreed to buy a volume of scandium. Rio Tinto: Canada Growth Fund scandium transaction release (1 November 2025) |
| NioCorp Developments | United States (Elk Creek, Nebraska) | Developer of a niobium, scandium and titanium project (Nasdaq: NB) | Its project page gives a life-of-mine average of 118 tons a year of scandium oxide and a payable scandium oxide reserve of 4,479 tonnes, based on its 2026 technical report of 10 August 2026. NioCorp: Elk Creek project page (2026 technical report of 10 August 2026) |
| Sunrise Energy Metals | Australia (Syerston, New South Wales) | Developer of the Syerston scandium project (ASX: SRL) | Its 10 August 2026 announcement says the US Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital conditionally committed up to US$400 million of debt for the project, whose initial development is designed for about 60 tonnes a year of scandium oxide, with a possible second phase taking it to 180 tonnes a year. Sunrise Energy Metals: ASX announcement of 10 August 2026 |
| Scandium International Mining | Australia (Nyngan, New South Wales) | Developer of the Nyngan scandium project (TSXV: SCY) | Its 24 March 2026 release says the Nyngan project is fully shovel-ready, with a mining license that now covers the entire resource. Scandium International Mining: news release of 24 March 2026 |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is scandium used for?
Scandium is used in aerospace alloys, solid oxide fuel cells and minor uses. Aerospace alloys: a principal use in 2025.
Where is scandium produced?
USGS publishes no scandium production table. Its summary table puts world production at 80 tons and records no US production, with China the leading producer and no figure available for its output.
Is scandium a critical mineral?
Yes. Scandium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Scandium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for scandium in 2025 was 100%.
How much does scandium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of scandium at $640/kg (scandium oxide, powder, 99.99% purity (5 to 100 kilogram lots), range of average values; 0% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Scandium. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 4, export controls by country)
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- Rio Tinto: Canada Growth Fund scandium transaction release (1 November 2025)
- NioCorp: Elk Creek project page (2026 technical report of 10 August 2026)
- Sunrise Energy Metals: ASX announcement of 10 August 2026
- Scandium International Mining: news release of 24 March 2026
Related topics
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Export Controls and Restrictions
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Mineral Library
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