https://www.miningweekly.com

Supply concerns for Lynas as BHP Nickel West operations halt

Lynas' Kalgoorlie plant processes rare earth concentrate into a carbonate.

Lynas' Kalgoorlie plant processes rare earth concentrate into a carbonate.

12th July 2024

By: Mariaan Webb

Creamer Media Contract Publishing Editor

     

Font size: - +

Rare earths producer Lynas is addressing potential supply disruptions at its Kalgoorlie facility following BHP’s decision to suspend operations at its Western Australia nickel facilities starting October.

The shutdown, which was necessitated by a global oversupply in nickel, poses challenges to the supply of sulphuric acid crucial for Lynas’ rare earths processing operations.

Under a contract until June 30, 2027, Lynas sources sulphuric acid from BHP Nickel West either locally from the Kalgoorlie smelter or through imported sources. BHP has committed to making reasonable efforts to continue supplying imported acid to Lynas’ facility.

Lynas' Kalgoorlie plant processes rare earth concentrate extracted from its Mt Weld mine. This concentrate undergoes a high-temperature process in a 110-m-long rotating kiln—one of Australia's largest—to convert rare earth phosphate minerals into rare earth sulphate. Following this, a leaching process with added water removes impurities such as iron phosphate, ultimately yielding a mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC).

The MREC produced in Kalgoorlie is subsequently refined further at Lynas' advanced materials plants, such as the facility in Gebeng, Malaysia, or potentially at its upcoming rare earths separation facility in the US.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Projects

Gold processing plant
Assafou gold project, Côte d’Ivoire
Updated 2 hours 42 minutes ago By: Sheila Barradas
LOcation map of the Lionheart project in Germany
Lionheart lithium project, Germany
Updated 2 hours 42 minutes ago By: Sheila Barradas

Showroom

M and J Mining
M and J Mining

M and J Mining are leading suppliers of physical support systems as used by the underground mining industry. Our selection of products are not...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Rentech
Rentech

Rentech provides renewable energy products and services to the local and selected African markets. Supplying inverters, lithium and lead-acid...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.047 0.071s - 111pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now