Lynas Rare Earths seeks US aid for Texas refinery as costs surge
Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths is in talks with the Trump administration to counter rising costs for the refinery it is building in Texas, while at the same time warning that the president’s tariff agenda could threaten the project.
While pre-construction activities are underway, additional expenses are needed to mitigate wastewater challenges, Lynas said in a statement Monday. The company — backed by Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart — is in discussions with the US government about the issue, it added.
Perth-based Lynas is the largest supplier outside China of rare earths, used in everything from smartphones to defence applications. The Asian nation’s dominance of the industry has caused angst in the US, which is seeking to bolster alternative supply chains. In response to punitive tariffs imposed by Washington, Beijing has added seven rare earths to its export control list.
“We are also reviewing the potential cost implications for the US project as a consequence of recent announcements on global tariffs,” Lynas said.
Lynas produces so-called ‘light’ rare earths, which are used in magnets for electric vehicle motors, wind turbines and munitions. It’s set to enter the ‘heavy’ industry with new refining capacity both in the US and in Malaysia, where it has an existing site that from later this year will start processing many of the metals restricted by Chinese export controls.
Lynas currently sources ore for its refineries from its Mt Weld mine near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, according to its website. It will send ore from there to the Texas facility once it is operational.
Comments
Research Reports
Latest Multimedia
Showroom
Developed to exceed the latest EN 15964 standards for police breathalysers proving that it will remain accurate and reliable for many years to come.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
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?
Receive 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)
➕
Recieve 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
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
