By Jamie Hyland | MiningIR
In an era defined by global security threats, artificial intelligence, and the electrification of vehicles and power grids, the demand for secure, local sources of high-purity materials has never been higher. One of the most mission-critical resources in this high-tech arms race is ultra-pure silica quartz—used to create semiconductor-grade silicon chips that underpin not just consumer electronics, but advanced military systems, defense infrastructure, and national security itself.
One of the world’s most promising sources lies beneath the prairies of southeastern Manitoba. Sio Silica Corporation, a Canadian company, has uncovered North America’s largest known deposit of ultra-pure silica quartz near Vivian, Manitoba. The company’s flagship project spans over 100,000 hectares and holds 459 mining claims, tapping into a formation of exceptional geological quality. Their naturally occurring raw quartz regularly tests at >99.86% purity, with laboratory conditions reaching 99.999% SiO₂—a threshold required for critical defense and aerospace applications. A simple water wash and magnetic separation yields 99.95%, further demonstrating the exceptional quality and ease of processing of this premium silica resource.
“What we’ve uncovered in southeastern Manitoba represents a pivotal opportunity to secure a domestic source of high-purity silica essential for today’s critical defense technologies,” says Feisal Somji, CEO of Sio Silica. “With exceptional scale and purity, our deposit addresses a global challenge in building resilient supply chains. Equally important, we are deeply committed to environmental responsibility—using an innovative, minimally invasive extraction process that significantly reduces surface impact and water use. Our focus is on creating long-term value for Manitobans, strengthening local communities, and contributing to North America’s technological and security leadership.”
Sio Silica recently attended the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) Summit IV in Toronto, receiving an outstanding reception. On Day 1, Feisal Somji, CEO of Sio Silica, delivered an impactful presentation titled, “The Important Role of Silica in North American National Security and How Canada Can Take a Leading Role,” emphasizing Canada’s potential to spearhead strategic silica initiatives crucial for defense and technological advancement. Somji highlighted Canada’s opportunity to emerge as a global leader in sustainable silica production through the company’s Manitoba project.
Why Ultra-Pure Silica Quartz Matters to National Defense
High-purity silica quartz is transformed through multiple stages into polysilicon and refined into silicon wafers, the base material for integrated circuits and microchips. These chips are the backbone of modern military systems, enabling smart munitions, battlefield communications, radar, avionics, satellite systems, and advanced surveillance technologies.
Ultra-pure silica’s unique thermal, electrical, and optical properties make it indispensable in military electronics, hypersonic systems, LIDAR, and satellite applications, where resilience, precision, and secure performance are mission critical. Its exceptional thermal stability supports hypersonic and aerospace-grade electronics, while ultra-low impurity levels enable secure, miniaturized circuits essential for advanced defense technologies.
The U.S. Department of Defense, through initiatives like the Defense Production Act and CHIPS Act, has identified secure access to high-purity silicon as a national imperative. With China dominating the global silica supply chain, allied nations like Canada are stepping up to provide secure, traceable, conflict-free sources of this strategic mineral.
Leading aerospace and defense companies in North America and Europe echo this urgency. In Canada, firms such as Bombardier, Magellan Aerospace, CAE, Héroux-Devtek, and CMC Electronics are critical to defense and military aviation. In the U.S., giants like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, General Dynamics, and L3Harris rely on high-purity silicon for military aircraft, missile systems, and defense electronics. European leaders like Airbus, BAE Systems, Thales, Leonardo, and Safran are expanding production across military aircraft, munitions, electronics, and surveillance technologies.
In addition to these critical applications, ultra-pure silica quartz plays a foundational role in cutting-edge defense technologies such as autonomous systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cyber defense infrastructure, where advanced silicon chips enable real-time decision-making and secure communications. Radiation-hardened semiconductors are vital for satellite defense, missile warning systems, and deep-space operations, ensuring resilience in extreme environments. Furthermore, as quantum computing and advanced simulation systems become integrated into military R&D, the demand for ultra-pure silicon will intensify, positioning Sio Silica as a key enabler of next-generation defense capabilities across air, land, sea, cyber, and space domains.
The reliance of these major defense contractors on high-purity silica quartz underscores the importance of establishing secure and sustainable supply chains in North America. Manitoba’s emergence as a significant source of this critical mineral positions it as a key player in supporting the defense and aerospace industries across allied nations.
A New Economic Engine for Manitoba
While the global significance of high-purity silica is rising, the local impact in Manitoba is profound. Sio Silica’s multi-decade project will support hundreds of skilled jobs in geology, environmental science, engineering, and manufacturing, and will generate substantial provincial royalties and indirect employment in transportation and logistics.
Carla Devlin, President of Sio Silica, notes, “Manitoba has the chance to become a North American center of excellence for high-purity silica. We’re supporting long-term defense sector growth and innovation, investing in local training, and enabling Canada’s high-tech future through partnerships and infrastructure improvements. This is about putting Manitoba on the global map—not just as a resource supplier, but as a leader in innovation, sustainability, and critical minerals security.”
As the world races to secure critical minerals, Manitoba is emerging as a crucial player in this high-stakes sector. Long known for its natural resources, the province is stepping confidently onto the global stage, helping to strengthen economic development, continental defense, and a thriving high-tech ecosystem. With high-purity silica quartz at its foundation, Manitoba is poised to become an indispensable part of North America’s economic resilience and security.
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