Australia-based rare-earths mining company Lynas has selected Kalgoorlie in Western Australia as the location for its new cracking and leaching plant.
The company said that it has selected Kalgoorlie from two shortlisted locations in the Goldfields region after extensive due diligence, and the plant will create new jobs and lays foundation for a critical minerals hub in the Goldfields region.
Lynas CEO & managing director Amanda Lacaze said: “We are excited to announce Kalgoorlie as the location for our robust, value-added processing facility in Western Australia. Kalgoorlie is a terrific city and an ideal location for our new cracking and leaching plant. We are excited to contribute to economic development in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
“We thank the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder for their warm welcome and we look forward to sharing further details with the local communities as our plans progress. Lynas was built from the ground up as an environmentally responsible Rare Earths producer and we will take the same approach to our facility in Kalgoorlie.”
Kalgoorlie located close to Lynas mine at Mt Weld
Lynas said that it has selected Kalgoorlie, based on its location, close to the Lynas mine at Mt Weld, availability of skilled workforce and a history of mining and processing industries.
It has signed an option to sublease an industrial zoned property from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, after signing of an MOU with the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
The proposed cracking and leaching plant at Kalgoorlie is expected to upgrade the Lynas Mt Weld rare earth concentrate, which is currently exported to the Lynas rare earth processing facility in Malaysia.
In addition, it helps in delivering the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and the Western Australian Government’s target for additional downstream processing.
Lacaze added: “We also acknowledge the support from the Western Australian Government and the Australian Government to enhance the critical minerals industry in the Kalgoorlie region. The signing of this option is an important step for our project and we look forward to updating the market on its progress.”
