Milestone achievement for the Australian company, a shift for global supply chains?
In its latest quarterly report, Lynas announced that it would begin producing dysprosium in May, followed by terbium in June. The company appears to be right on schedule: the first batch of dysprosium oxide has now been successfully produced at its refinery in Malaysia (PDF). This marks a major milestone — Lynas is now the first supplier of this complex-to-produce material outside of China, according to the company.
There’s no doubt that the company, under CEO Amanda Lacaze, has ambitious plans. In addition to mining raw materials in Australia, Lynas is considering acquiring deposits in Brazil and Malaysia. Particularly promising are ion-adsorption clays, which contain high concentrations of heavy rare earth elements like dysprosium and terbium — materials that are currently in high demand due to China’s export restrictions.
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