Amanda Lacaze
ASX-listed Lynas Rare Earths plans to start production of two separated heavy rare earths (HRE) products at its Malaysian facility by 2025.
This marks a strategic shift as Lynas expands its product offerings beyond light rare earths to include dysprosium and terbium, key components in advanced technologies such as electric vehicles and micro-capacitors.
The initiative, driven by a newly configured solvent extraction circuit at Lynas Malaysia, aims to separate dysprosium and terbium from the current mixed HRE compound, SEGH, sourced from the company's Mt Weld orebody, in Australia. The reconfiguration, which has completed the front end engineering design phase and is progressing towards detailed engineering, is anticipated to handle up to 1 500 t/y of SEGH upon completion.
With an estimated capital expenditure of A$25-million, the project is part of Lynas Malaysia's Industrial Plan and is expected to undergo commissioning and ramp-up by mid-2025.
CEO and MD Amanda Lacaze highlighted the significance of this milestone, stating, "Lynas’ Mt Weld deposit is remarkable for its endowment of heavy rare earth minerals, as well as light rare earth minerals. The circuit reconfiguration at Lynas Malaysia provides a pathway to accelerate the company's commitment to processing all of the elements in the Mt Weld orebody, she stated.
The separation of dysprosium and terbium will expand Lynas' HRE product range to encompass five distinct offerings: dysprosium, terbium, unseparated samarium/europium/gadolinium, holmium concentrate, and unseparated SEGH. This diversification is expected to strengthen Lynas' position in the rare earth market by meeting the specific needs of existing and prospective customers.
Simultaneously, Lynas is advancing pre-construction activities for its planned US rare earths processing facility, which is designed to accommodate third-party feedstocks upon its operational commencement.