Scandium is a metal few investors know well.
But despite its low profile, it is abundant in the Earth's crust.
The challenge lies not in its presence but in finding deposits large and rich enough to be mined economically.
In essence, primary scandium mines are virtually non-existent.
Most of the world's production is generated in small volumes as a by-product of other metals like nickel or uranium, or through the reprocessing of waste.
That said, Australia stands out with one of the highest concentrations of scandium globally.
In particular, New South Wales is believed to be the only location where scandium could potentially be mined as a primary commodity.
At the forefront of this opportunity is a little-known ASX mining stock aiming to transform from an aspiring explorer into a major producer of this strategic metal.
That company is Sunrise Energy Metals Ltd (ASX: SRL), and its shares have been booming.
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Scandium is classified as a rare earth element.
It is one of the most effective minerals in strengthening aluminium, whilst also offering improved flexibility and resistance to heat and corrosion.
Such traits make scandium desirable in high-performance aluminium alloys that need to be light, strong, and heat-resistant.
As a result, it is used across various industries, including aerospace, automotive manufacturing, heat exchangers, sporting goods, 3D printing, and energy transmission.
Scandium oxide also plays a key role in improving the performance of solid oxide fuel cells, used as clean energy sources for buildings, medical facilities, and data centres.
According to Sunrise Energy, more than 90% of the world's scandium demand comes from civilian and defence applications in the US.
However, China currently dominates supply, accounting for over 80% of production and effectively all the world's refining capacity.
And earlier this year, Beijing introduced export controls on scandium and other rare earth elements, fundamentally reshaping the global market.
These measures heightened supply concerns across the US and other Western nations, turning attention towards alternate supply chains.
Strategic project
Sunrise Energy believes its Syerston project in New South Wales hosts one of the world's largest and highest-grade scandium resources.
If developed, the project could become a new source of low-cost, scalable, and reliable scandium for Western markets.
The group plans to build a stand-alone mine and processing plant at Syerston, capable of supplying scandium for 5G and 6G semiconductor chips, fuel cells, and both civilian and military aluminium alloys.
So far, a 32-year mine life has been estimated for the project.
An updated feasibility study gauging the development potential is expected early next year.
Sunrise Energy has already secured several key permits and approvals for developing the project.
The ASX mining stock aims to start construction of the mine by mid-2026.
Share price momentum for this unique ASX mining stock
Investor enthusiasm around the potential development of Syerston appears to be reflected in the spectacular performance of Sunrise Energy shares.
At the start of 2025, shares in this ASX mining stock were changing hands at $0.23 apiece.
By Monday's close, its shares had surged to $7.41 apiece.
This represents a 3,122% gain for shareholders in this ASX mining stock since the start of the year.
For context, the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) has risen by about 6.7% across the same timeframe.
