Posted on 28 Jun 2024
Australia-listed Lynas Rare Earths intends to start production of two separated heavy rare earths (HRE) products next year in Malaysia, complementing its existing portfolio. In a statement on Thursday, Lynas says its subsidiary in Malaysia will use a new solvent extraction circuit process to produce dysprosium and terbium. These are high-performance rare earth permanent magnets used in EVs and high-tech applications such as micro-capacitors which are key to all electronic devices.
Currently, Lynas Malaysia sells these and other HRE oxides from the Mt Weld ore body in Western Australia as a mixed HRE compound known as SEGH. The separation of the two HREs will expand the offerings of both heavy and light rare earths. Planned production volumes, however, remain undisclosed. “This circuit reconfiguration at Lynas Malaysia provides a pathway to accelerate our commitment to processing all of the elements in the Mt Weld ore body,” comments ceo Amanda Lacaze. The company currently mines and initially processes rare earth materials in Western Australia, Kallanish notes. Further processing is done in Malaysia, at what Lynas describes as the world’s largest single rare earths processing plant. The firm is the only significant producer of separated rare earth materials outside China. It’s also planning a new processing facility in Texas, US, for which pre-construction activities are ongoing. The plant will be able to use third-party feedstock, but Lynas is also working on expanding its processing facility in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. This new facility will process concentrate from the Mt Weld mine to produce mixed rare earth carbonate, which can then be further processed in Malaysia and the US. In Q1, Lynas decided to hold its mixed heavy rare earth inventory – 500 tonnes of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) – instead of selling amid plummeting rare earth prices. It said then that NdPr oxide price in China was 47% lower year-on-year at $47/kg.
Source:Kallanish
