Name of the Project
Kalgoorlie rare earths processing facility.

Location
Goldfields region of Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Lynas Kalgoorlie, a subsidiary of rare earths developer Lynas Rare Earths.

Project Description
The project entails the construction and operation of the Kalgoorlie rare earths processing facility.

The project will process rare-earth concentrate, sourced from Lynas’ Mt Weld mine, to produce a rare-earth carbonate for export.

The processing facility site will comprise an acid cracking kiln and leaching plant, which will process material from the Mt Weld mine site.

Associated infrastructure includes small temporary by-product (gypsum and iron phosphate) storage areas at the facility, and are not intended to provide long-term storage.

Rare-earth concentrate feed is estimated at up to 162 000 t/y to produce 68 800 t/y of rare-earth carbonate.

Processing facility-derived waste and/or by-product is estimated at up to 132 000 t/y of iron phosphate and up to 330 000 t/y of gypsum.

The life of the project is 25 years.

Potential Job Creation
About 290 positions are expected to be created during construction.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
A$500-million, including associated upgrades at the Lynas Malaysia plant.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Lynas has received Ministerial approval for the development of its Kalgoorlie rare earths processing centre.

The project has received the Ministerial Statement under the Environmental Protection Act, approving the implementation of the Kalgoorlie rare earths processing facility and outlining the conditions for the construction and operation of the facility.

The conditions are consistent with initiatives proposed by Lynas.

The cracking and leaching plant forms part of the company’s 2025 growth plans and will result in Lynas’ upgrading the rare-earth concentrate – currently exported to Malaysia – from the Mt Weld operation.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Lynas Rare Earths, tel +61 8 6241 3800.